How to find the cheapest flights
Start your search for flights on a search engine like Fare Compare. Once you have some idea what airlines fly to your destination and the cost, then go to their websites. I personally like to book flights through the airline for a couple of reasons. I find it’s better to deal directly with an airline if there are any cancellations or other issues. Also once on their site it’s easier to search for cheaper dates and check flight times/layovers. For example flights were quite expensive from New Orleans to L.A in July until in the week view it showed half price fares on July 4th (often the case with major holidays). Make sure you check each day of the week. Flights can vary in price, times and stopovers on different days. For example Jetstar fly Melbourne to Auckland every day of the week (very late at night) except on Saturdays there is a 6pm flight.
Trying to get a ‘last minute’ deal for five people is impossible, so I always book as much in advance as I can. Most airlines let you book about 10 months ahead. Obviously if you can travel outside of school holidays and peak periods you will get cheaper flights. Shoulder seasons are usually the best time to travel somewhere. We try to book flights with the shortest stopovers possible, or at least a 24 hour stopover so we can exit the airport and have a break. Make sure you check the costs of an overnight stay before doing this though, as sometimes it’s not worth it.
Sign everyone up for Frequent Flyers. You can earn them and use them on a multitude of affiliate airlines. I recently signed up the whole family for Qantas Frequent Flyers. Don’t do this directly through their website or you will incur a charge. Use the following link and sign up for free.
How to reduce your luggage costs
The majority of airlines allow 7kg hand luggage. The girls normally take a small carry-on suitcase with wheels and carry a bulky jumper/jacket. This is usually enough space for them and stops the urge to over-pack. They also take a small bag with phone, book, water bottle etc. We then book one 25kg suitcase to take our luggage and any excess the girls can’t fit. That way you are only paying for one bag. Don’t forget we parents also have another 7kg hand luggage as well. Most airlines will consolidate your hand luggage total, so basically if a family of five does not exceed 35kg then you should be ok. Make sure if you are flying multiple international or domestic flights that they have the same hand luggage allowance. Some international flights allow 10kg, but then if you hop onto a domestic flight it will probably be back to 7kg.
Booking Seats
We personally don’t pay for seats and figure even if we are split up, it would probably be ok as we have teenagers. You may want to reconsider if you have young children. Make sure you check in online as soon as you can, usually a few days before flying and select your seats then.
Save money on food
Budget airlines charge for everything. Make sure you carry plenty of water and snacks. We usually stock up at a bakery beforehand. If we’re still hungry on the flight we might pay for some 2-Minute noodles. Some airlines try to claim you can’t take food on board, but we have never had any trouble.
Keep kids entertained on flights for less
Take/Make your own entertainment. Most budget airlines charge extra for inflight entertainment (if they offer it at all). Download movies onto a tablet or phone (or free apps that don’t require wifi) before you leave home. Take portable charges as backup and a multi-port charging station. For games try pwkreupblicwifi, commonsenseMedia , 30Seconds. For movies go to Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
Travel Insurance
Always book travel insurance immediately after you have booked your flights. These days it’s important to check if your insurance covers a ‘pandemic’. If it does, look for clauses that state you are not covered if you have certain pre-existing medical conditions like asthma (just search the pdf for keywords). We never pay extra for rental car excess, because this is covered under our travel insurance. We use RACV and have always found them reliable. They have paid out three times due to cancelled trips.
Staying in airports
Most of us know that not all airports are created equal. If you have a long stopover the difference between a good airport and a bad one is huge. Take Changi for example. It almost feels like a destination in itself, with interactive entertainment, beautiful gardens, playgrounds and even a snooze lounge. No wonder it’s been named the worlds best airport seven years straight. (Kath and Kel should consider it for their next holiday). Some airports even offer free showers like Doha. Sleepinginairports has a lot of useful information about airport lounges, layovers, facilities etc.
The Stella pop up stand at Changi Airport opened every 15 minutes to give away free beer. This kept us entertained for hours.
Get free Wifi in any airport
FoxNomad has a great app – WiFox. It gives you passwords that allow you to access airport wifi around the world. It costs $1.99 and is updated regularly.