As flight prices are climbing, Colorado travel agent shares ways to save money when booking your next trip
Due to the ongoing war in Iran, airfare prices are taking off because of rising jet fuel costs. A local travel agent is sharing ways to save money when booking your next trip or summer vacation.
Nicole Zillman is the owner of Zillman Weddings and Travel. Her message is to book your next trip sooner rather than later, and don't wait. She believes flight prices will continue to climb because demand for flying is still high.
Between the war in Iran, TSA impacts, and flights getting delayed and canceled, Zillman said there's a lot of uncertainty when flying and it's creating the perfect storm for flight increases.
A recent analysis of U.S. airline tickets by Duetsche Bank found that the average domestic flight for late March has climbed between 15% and 124%.
Zillman also said there are fuel surcharges on every ticket which are usually about $2.50. Lately, she's seen fuel surcharges jump to $50 for some flights. She's said she's also seen flights from coast to coast more than double or almost triple, with some flights that used to cost $160 now costing nearly $500.
First, she recommends getting travel insurance. If you've already bought insurance, make sure it includes"cancelling for any reason," because it might not cover what's happening with the war in the Middle East. Upgrade to a higher-level insurance if needed. You can call your insurance provider or book two insurance plans.
"What a lot of people don't realize right now is the travel protection plan that they have previously may not even cover some things going on right now, especially with the war in the Middle East, a lot of those things that were unforeseen that insurance would have covered are now being labeled as foreseen, so that you're able to foresee it, and then insurance will not cover it. So, what you should do is you should still absolutely get travel insurance. Just look for a plan that says, 'Cancel for any reason.' That's the strongest insurance you can get," said Zillman.
Look for flights as soon as possible. The sweet spot for domestic flights used to be booking domestic flights one to three months out, but now it's three months. For flights outside of the U.S., it's now best to book at least three-to-six months out.
"Some other things you can do is plan to fly during the middle of the week. Wednesdays are usually the cheapest day of the week to fly. And then when you're looking to book a flight, try to book it midweek also. So, Tuesday and Wednesday, those are generally less expensive than even booking your flight on a Saturday," said Zillman.
She also recommends using a Google flight tracker to track flight prices.
"Take advantage of some free tools, like the Google flight tracker, which, if you have a Google or Gmail account, you can just search a flight and put a tracker on there. As the price goes up and down, they'll shoot you an email that says, 'hey, the price is going up and up and up,' or 'hey, the price just dropped. Book it now.' That's the easiest way, and it's a free tool," said Zillman.
She also recommends packing light and trying to pack everything into a carry-on. Because a lot of flights are getting delayed or canceled, also consider getting a flight with a longer layover or an overnight layover to ensure you make it to your destination.
"When you're planning your trip, plan a two-to-three-hour layover, just to be safe. We're seeing some route cancellations, so you may have less flight options to choose from if it's between a 90-minute layover and a two-hour layover, although that sounds a lot, just to be safe, book the two-hour layover," said Zillman.
Keep in mind, basic economy fares save you money up front, but if you must cancel your flight for any reason, you're out that money unless you have insurance.
Zillman also recommends using every discount available, including military, senior, first responder discounts.
Plus, research your destination, look at credible news sources in the area, or get help from a travel agent.
