20 Great Money Saving Travel Hacks

The great thing about saving money on travel is that you have more money for… travel! If you save enough, you can afford a trip that’s better and longer. And who doesn’t want that?

Business Insider recently asked travel expert and author Scott Keyes for his best hacks for saving money on travel. He came up with more than a dozen simple ways to cut costs and improve your trip. We’ve also added a few of our own hacks. The saving starts here…

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1. Sign up for Alerts

It takes work to save money, but the more effort you put in, the more you'll save. Keyes says you should follow the social media channels of airlines, consolidators and online booking sites like Expedia. You should also sign-up for email alerts from sites like Airfarewatchdog and join online discussion groups.

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2. Search Nearby Airports

When you're flying to/from/through a city with multiple airports like London, Berlin or New York, make sure you're searching them all for the lowest fare. You'd be surprised at the difference it makes.

Even with the dollar sinking, Canadians can still find bargains at border airports. If you can fly from Seattle or Detroit, you could save a bundle.

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3. Search by Month

Keyes tells Business Insider that rather than searching for airfares on specific days, you should search an entire month. Sites like Kayak, ITA Software and Google Flights give you the ability to look at a range of fares. Do this early, before your travel dates are firm.

4. Remember: Not All Airlines Appear in Search

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4. Remember: Not All Airlines Appear in Search

Not all airlines show up in all search engines. Keyes says sometimes you have to search certain airlines separately. He suggests finding a flight and price you like first and then see what the other airlines offer.

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5. Use Throwaway Tickets

This next tip is one that airlines really don't like. Basically you buy a flight to a destination that's cheap with a stopover in the city you actually want to go to. Instead of continuing on, you get off in the stopover destination and skip the rest of the flight. The website Skiplagged can help you plan this kind of itinerary.

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6. Book at the Right Time

Keyes says timing is important when booking. He suggests waiting to between three months and one month before travelling off-peak. If you're going at a busy time, start checking for flights six months in advance.

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7. Be Flexible

If you really want to save, Keyes says you should decide how much you want to spend on airfare first and let that determine the destination. Sites like Google Flights let you explore by fare.

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8. Add Long Layovers

One perk of using airline reward miles for a flight is that you can often add layovers to the itinerary for little or no cost. Keyes says you can add layovers of less than 24 hours to an unlimited number of flights. It doesn't give you a ton of time to explore, but you can certainly hop around for the cost of one awards flight.

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9. Add a Free Stopover Using Points

Another benefit of using points is that you can add a free stopover. I once flew on points from Vancouver to Halifax and added a stop in Winnipeg to visit family for free.

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10. Build Miles With Credit Cards

If you want to accumulate airline miles fast, getting a number of credit cards can work. You'll get bonuses for signing up and using them. As long as you pay off the balance every month, you can earn yourself free travel. It doesn't take long if you use a credit card to pay recurring bills and for things like groceries.

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11. Use Credit Cards With Travel Perks

Another benefit of travel focused credit cards is their many perks. Most offer all kinds of insurance for everything from flight delays to car rentals. Some even give you airport lounge access. You can really save big — especially if something goes wrong.

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12. Volunteer to be Bumped

Keyes says getting bumped is a great way to get free spending money or frequent flyer miles. Always check to see if your flight is full and offer to be bumped. Keyes was once given a $500 voucher and booked on a flight just 90 minutes later. You'll also earn miles when you use the voucher.

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13. Complain (Nicely)

Sometimes a little complaint goes a long way. Keyes says if you have a legitimate complaint about something that wasn't right with your flight, you may get compensated for it.

He suggests sending a polite email to the airline and waiting to see what happens. Make sure you include the flight number, date, seat location and an explanation what went wrong. It doesn't hurt to add that you usually have an awesome experience with the airline.

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14. Fly on Cheap Days

It's not what day you book, it's what day you fly. Keyes says that Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the cheapest days to fly. A little flexibility with your itinerary can save you a lot.

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15. Use Google Maps Offline

Don't want to spend money on maps you'll use just once? Use Google maps. And if you don't have a mobile data plan, no problem. You can now download Google Maps to your smartphone for offline use.

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16. Take Photos of Important Info

This tip may save you money if your heavy guidebook puts your luggage over the weight limit. Use your smartphone to take pictures of the most important information you need. Now you don't have to lug that book around and you have easy access to the contents.

17. Use FourSquare to Find WiFi Passwords

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17. Use FourSquare to Find WiFi Passwords

You can find WiFi networks almost everywhere these days. But what if the network is locked and you don't want to buy a coffee or stay at the hotel? You can check FourSquare for WiFi passwords. There's even an app for that.

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18. Book Two One-Way Flights

It takes a little work, but did you know that you can sometimes save money if you book two one-way flights on different airlines instead of a regular return flight?

One airline might be a bargain going to your destination and the other may have something cheaper coming back. Websites like Google Flights can help you craft itineraries like this.

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19. Use the 24 Hour Cancellation Window

Sometimes a one-way flight is not only cheaper than a return ticket, it actually fits your plans better.

Say you want to travel to a country that requires you to have proof of an onward flight but you're backpacking and don't have a firm itinerary. What you can do is book a one-way ticket with any major airline (check first!) to show as proof and you can cancel it without penalty within 24 hours.

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20. Use Private Browsing When Searching

Do airlines and travel sites track your visits and then raise prices on products you've shown interest in? Some say yes, some say no. If you want to be sure, use your web browser's the privacy mode. Better safe than sorry!