7 Ways Families Can Cut The Cost Of Plane Travel

Family travel is all well and good, and is an important part of family life – after all, everyone needs a vacation from time to time. However, what you don’t want is for the cost of your next family trip to cause financial problems and leave your bank account in the red. After all, there’s nothing less relaxing than going on holiday and knowing that you are coming home to all kinds of financial problems, which is why it’s important to only book a vacation if it’s affordable.

The truth is that making family travel affordable can be a ‘sticky’ business, as there’s just so many factors that need to be taken into account. It’s not easy making plane costs lower, especially when you have a large family. However, that being said, just because it isn’t easy, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t possible. The fact is that if you are smart about how you go about booking your travel, you can reduce the cost, and make things more affordable.

Want to know the best ways to reduce the cost of family travel? Below are seven ways that you can cut costs and make family travel more affordable.

1. Book sooner rather than later

When it comes to saving money on the cost of your travel, the rule is that if you want to cut costs, then you need to book sooner rather than later. Or, if you haven’t booked yet and your trip is soon, book last minute. The rule is that when it comes to making the best savings on the cost of your trip, booking earlier or later is vital. Because it’s at these times when the cost of your plane tickets should be at their lowest price.

Of course, choosing to book them as early as possible is ideal as it means that you will get first pick out of everything, from where on the plane you sit to how you are seated as a family. If you book your tickets at the last minute, you run the risk of not being able to select where you sit or whether your family will be sat together. That’s why it’s usually better to opt to book your tickets at the earliest convenience, to avoid these kinds of issues. Obviously, if seats aren’t allocated until boarding, then this isn’t an issue.      

2. Be selective about the airline that you fly with

When it comes to cutting costs, not all airlines are equal. If you want to ensure that you are getting the best price for your money, it’s vital that you are selective about the airline that you fly with. Because the fact is that if you want to reduce your spending and ensure that your costs are affordable, it’s vital that you choose an airline that is able to cater to your needs.

For instance, there are some companies that offer deals on the price of tickets, offering discounts like buy two tickets for the price of one. For instance, Southwest has a companion pass ticket, that allows you to purchase two tickets for the price of one, whenever you want to. This can help to significantly reduce the cost of your trip, and make it much more affordable for your family to travel.

3. Keep extra flight costs down

One of the main costs that are associated with travel abroad is the cost of additional extras. The fact is that when it comes to traveling via plane, there are a lot of additional costs to consider. The issue is that a lot of people choose to opt for flights that are budget-friendly, because they’re cheaper. However, usually these flights don’t come with all of the additional extras included, such as the cost of luggage, carry ons and personal items, or in-flight meals.

So if you want to make sure that your flights are as cheap as you think they are, it might be a good idea to consider looking at all-inclusive flights. Despite the fact that these flights are often more expensive, they tend to include all associated costs, which makes them cheaper in the long-run, compared to pay for each part of your flight, from the tickets to the luggage, separately. This means that often, they are far more cost-effective overall, and a much better option.

4. Take advantage of discount codes

When it comes to cutting costs, it’s important to remember that discount codes can be lifesaving. If you want to ensure that you are able to cut costs and keep your family’s travel as affordable as possible, it’s vital that you take advantage of any deals or discount codes that are available to you.

Whether you come across discounts for in-flight meals, vouchers that you can use at the airport to cut the cost of your family’s before flight meal, or you find a code to allow you to gain extra luggage privileges for free, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you take advantage of any discount codes that are available to you, to help make the cost of your trip more affordable.

5. Be smart about food

Unless your plane tickets come with free in-flight meals, you may want to consider what your other options are. The fact is that often plane food is incredibly expensive for what it is, and when you have a large family to cater to, can be extremely unaffordable. So instead of breaking the bank with in-flight meals, why not purchase a picnic from the airport instead and have a picnic on the flight? While you can’t bring your own foods from home, you can buy food in the airport to take with you.

To keep food costs as low as possible, make sure that the whole family eats a proper meal at home before you head off. Then, any food costs that you need to cover, should be minimal and shouldn’t eat into your holiday money too much.

6. Be choosy about when you fly

It’s a well known fact that flight prices increase significantly during the school holidays, with most flights increasing by at least 20% in price per ticket. That’s why it’s important to think carefully about when you fly, to try and get the best deal possible. If you want to cut costs, it’s a good idea to consider attempting to fly out the day before the school holidays start and return the day after they end, if you’re going abroad for the entirety of them.

The key to cutting costs is being flexible in terms of when you fly. If you are going to cut costs and reduce the overall price of your trip, you need to be willing to be flexible in terms of when you fly. It doesn’t hurt to take the time to compare the different times of flights, to determine whether changing the date or time of your flights slightly could help to reduce the cost of your trip.

7. Pack entertainment

Instead of having to fork out for entertainment once you are at the airport or on the plane, it’s a good idea to pack entertainment to take with you, as that way you should find it easier to keep your little ones entertained while you travel. There’s always an in-flight movie on, but unless you pay for the headphones, there’s no way to watch it. Instead, why not pack your kids their own headphones or load up their tablets with videos and games, to keep them occupied in case you have to pay to use the TVs.

The fact is that if you don’t find a way to keep your kids occupied on board your flight, you are going to be in serious trouble. There’s nothing worse than having a bunch of bored kids on a plane, because boredom leads to arguments and tantrums. If you’re not a fan of technological entertainment, how about packing travel board games, cards, and coloring to keep your little ones entertained? Whatever you do, make sure to pack some form of entertainment, otherwise you will end up paying a premium for it, which is not something that you want to do.

Plane travel is expensive, there’s no getting away from that fact. However, just because flights can be expensive, especially when you’re traveling as part of a larger family group, that doesn’t mean that they have to be. The fact is that although traveling via plane can be expensive, that doesn’t mean that it has to be – there are plenty of ways that you can cut the cost of your travel, if you are smart about it, that is.

If you are serious about reducing the cost of your travel, then it’s a good idea to take note of the tips and advice above and implement them when it comes to your trip planning, so that you are able to make the biggest savings possible. It won’t always be easy cutting costs, but the truth is that if you want to make family travel more affordable, then you need to be mindful of the ways that you can save money.