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ince the era of super cheap European flights is long gone, you probably have experienced the daunting, repeated process of searching for the most affordable flights to Europe. With continually fluctuating airfare and many search engines, the search for frugal flight booking is an overwhelming process. Sadly for impatient travelers, there’s no shortcut to finding cheap European flight tickets. Therefore, you must be willing to not only commit more time but also put in more effort in your approach. Cheap European flights are out there if you know what you are looking for. That being said, below is a brief roundup of tips to help you reduce the frustration and most of all nab the cheapest ticket to Europe.
1. Use a travel agent
There are many myths about hiring travel agents to find cheap flights. Myths will lead you astray. The first thing you need to comprehend when looking for cheap airfare to Europe is that there isn’t a magic trick. So, it can be wise to seek professional assistance from a travel agent. Travel agents have established relationships with airlines and might get discounted ticket. Also, agents often have special undercut rates that are not accessible to the general public. However, it is advisable to carry out your research first, present the collected information to the agency and see if they can beat it.
2. Don’t forget the small and discounted airlines
While flight search engines are an excellent way to find cheap European flights, they might not include small airlines. While small airlines are not very popular, they often have exclusive offers not provided by big airlines. Discounted airlines are not easy to find or identify, but, they pop up in flight search engines now and then.
3. Timing your booking is everything
The toughest part of finding cheap flights is knowing when to stop searching and tracking and book your flight. Booking early (six months out) is always cheaper since airlines typically increase ticket prices to Europe in the last two weeks before booking. However, sometimes, buying tickets late in the game can be cheap if the airlines fail to fill their planes. Flexibility is critical when it comes to determining when to buy your ticket. Just about every destination has an off-peak and peak season.
4. Use multiple flight search engines
No matter how good the airfare offer might sound, be patient and check online flight booking websites and search engines for more information. A good flight search engine will be able to identify the cheapest airfare, the cheapest airport in Europe to fly into, present multiple departure dates and offer fare predictions for major European cities. Keep in mind that some search engines are affiliates of some airlines while other are not. Therefore, search as many flight search websites as possible for cheap European flights.
