How to find cheap flights for long distance relationships: my mom’s techniques

9 min readJul 7, 2021

1. Optional services are… optional

We tend to forget it, but options can quickly add up to a lot of money.

Here are the most common options that you should avoid at all costs to have cheaper flights for your long distance relationship.

Especially if you’re flying with a low-cost airline!

1. The checked baggage

The first time I traveled to Peru to join Kyomi, I only had a (large) backpack.

No checked luggage.

I saved 100€ and it allowed me not to miss my emergency flight home because of Covid-19.

If you can, just take a backpack with you on the plane.

ProsCons

Less expensive
Less bulky
Faster to get out of the airport
Less space
Not possible to take sharp objects or objects forbidden in the cabin
Can be complicate to bring back souvenirs

My personal tip:
Every time you travel, leave some things with your partner. The most important thing is to leave the things you can’t take with you on the plane!
Razor, knives…
This way, you won’t have to take a checked bag every time.

2. Insurance

Taking an insurance on your flight has always divided the travelers. I won’t get into that debate today!

I just want to remind you that insurance remains an option, and that not taking it can save you unnecessary expenses (provided that your flight does not have any problems!).

Personally, I never take any. Firstly because since Covid, airlines have adapted and are more flexible about last minute changes and cancellations.

Secondly, because I am a gambler. I love double or nothing. That’s why I stay away from casinos and love to make bets on absolutely anything and everything.

3. Do everything yourself. EVERYTHING!

The more things you do on your own, the cheaper it will be. This goes for countless things in life!

Fixing your car yourself saves you from paying a mechanic.

Baking a cake is cheaper than buying it.

You get the idea.

Do your research by yourself! Don’t go through an agency that will charge you for the service.

This is obvious, but I find it crucial to remember to get cheaper flights for your long distance relationship.

2. Purchase before, during and after the airport, have you thought about it?

Too often neglected, the mandatory purchases to be made during our trip can quickly make the bill explode.

Do you know what I mean?

The parking space at the airport for your car
Or the bus or train ticket to get to the airport
Last minute gifts in the « Duty Free » area (my pet peeve)
The little hunger or the little coffee to wait before boarding
If no one comes to pick you up, you will have to pay for a cab when you arrive

What’s the point of looking for a cheaper plane ticket for your long-distance relationship if you pay full price for these secondary trips?

No point.

My solutions:

If possible, ask someone close to you to take you to the airport, and upon arrival have someone pick you up!
Some airlines have partnerships with cab agencies (and therefore offers)
Pack a small snack to avoid buying food. Drink tap water in the toilet. (yes, it goes through there!)
Ask for information on forums, guides, with your partner to avoid being ripped off in your destination country. It is well known: tourists have money.
Negotiate prices for cabs.

3. Airlines are watching you… stay anonymous!

1. The « Private Browsing » + « Clear Your Cookies » combo

Sites that offer to buy airline tickets online are often designed to detect the searches you make and see which flights interest you in order to increase the price.

In order to avoid this and to see your prices soar, I advise you to clear the cookies of your browser and to do your searches in private browsing.

This way, the prices will remain the same during your search.

For those who want to go further, this site explains very well what a cookie is.

How to do ?

If you don’t know how to proceed, I advise you to search on Google « How to delete my cookies » + the name of your browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox…).

In my case, that would be « How to delete cookies on Google Chrome ».

For private browsing, just right click on your browser icon and choose « New private browsing window ».

2. To go even further: use a VPN

A VPN, or « Virtual Private Network », is one of the best tools to protect your privacy on the internet.

It encrypts your connection and allows you to remain anonymous when you search the Internet.

This software will « hide » your IP address (the address of your computer) and create another one.

This way, you are smarter than the airlines.

You make them believe that you are connecting from any country. And this is an incredible opportunity for two reasons:

The airlines won’t know you’re connecting for the first or hundredth time. So they won’t raise their prices.
The same ticket can cost you less depending on the country you buy it from. Simply because the purchasing power between two people from two different countries can vary greatly.

Personally, I use a free VPN called TunnelBear. You will have a limited time per month and you won’t be able to connect to every country in the world, but it does the job very well.

If you’re willing to spend a few dollars a month, you can choose its paid option.

Goodbye constraints!

By applying the first 4 tips, you will have already saved a significant percentage on your ticket.

Let’s continue!

4. Cheaps flights for Long distance relationships: think about promotional tickets, second hand tickets and credit notes

I was a little skeptical when my mom told me about this. She personally has never tried it, but she knows that my buying power is different than hers. Let me explain!

We can talk about a used ticket when you buy it from a private person. It is not a ticket where you travel in the hold or you do not have a seat.

Why are there used airline tickets?
In general, it is people like you and me who bought a ticket, but do not want to travel anymore. The airline can’t refund them or reschedule their ticket.

So rather than lose that money, they prefer to sell it to someone who needs it at a very low price!

Where to find used tickets and assets?

1. Specialized sites
There are sites that specialize in this area. A bit like concert or train tickets! If you google « used airline tickets », you should quickly find them.

Ebay also offers this kind of ads.

2. Facebook groups for travelers
You can imagine that among all the people who bought a plane ticket, many of them go back on their decision for whatever reason and end up with an extra ticket.

It could also be a voucher that is about to expire.

Either way, join travelers’ Facebook groups. The more specific the group, the more likely you’ll find what you need.

If you want to travel from the US to England, you’re more likely to find a ticket on a group called « US Travel Community » than « European Backpackers ».

No need for knowledge, it is an easy and formidable technique.

Beware!
It requires constant monitoring and surveillance of each publication. This can quickly become time-consuming, with no results! To avoid this, go to the following tip.

Where to find discounted or used airline tickets?

Beware!

Buying second-hand can be a scam. Be sure to ask before you buy!
Some airlines charge for a name change on a ticket.
Check all the information on the ticket: flight number, with or without luggage…

All the techniques seen so far require you to make some effort. Now let’s see how to make the good deals come to you.

Say goodbye to headaches!

5. Be informed of good deals automatically for cheaper flights for your long distance relationship

All of the above tips require quite a bit of time, and especially to regularly keep up with new offers.

It’s a big job every day, repetitive and, let’s not lie, a bit boring to do.

Fortunately, there are several solutions to automatically find cheap flights for your long distance relationship:

1.Subscribe to airline newsletters
If you know which airline you’re going to take for your next trip, you can sign up for their newsletter.

There is usually a link directly on their website, at the bottom of the homepage.

This way, you will be among the first to receive and know about future promotions and good deals that this company offers.

Practical, isn’t it?

This kind of mails usually arrive in the spam. Don’t hesitate to check them from time to time or to put a notification on your phone. It will make your life easier!

2. Opt for email alerts

One of my favorite tips for finding cheap tickets for your long distance relationship!

If you don’t know how this works, let me explain:

When you go to an airline or flight comparison website, it offers you (after you do an initial search) to create an email alert.

Email alerts have become widespread in recent years on the Internet. They can be found for services such as train tickets, concert tickets or job offers.

To put it simply, as soon as the website in question receives a new offer that matches your criteria, it will automatically send you an email to alert you.

You want to travel from Mexico to Madrid in 3 weeks but all flights are full?
Create an email alert to instantly know when a seat becomes available.

Or you’ve found an interesting flight but it’s a little too expensive?
An email alert will let you know if there is a price drop.

Simple and efficient to find cheap flights for long distance relationships.

Isn’t it better this way?

6. My mother has flown more than 200 times in her life. Here’s what she learned

There is no specific date to take your ticket. 1 month before is a minimum for international flights.
Weekday flights are cheaper than weekend flights.
Off-season tickets are always cheaper. Therefore, avoid vacation periods, holiday periods, public holidays…
Taking a round trip ticket is cheaper than taking two tickets, one outbound and one return.
Flights earlier in the day are cheaper.
Dates like Friday the 13th, September 11th are cheaper because of the superstition of people. Find out about each country!
If you travel often with the same company, create an account to benefit from long-term advantages.

You can discover 4 more tips on my blog, you just have to click here !