How To Get Cheap Flights To Asia
See Also:
- 9 Tips for Finding Cheap Tickets to Europe – much of this advice applies to Asia as well
- Air Asia – the best and cheapest airline for flying around Asia
- The Best Travel Websites for Planning a Trip
1. Check TravelZoo and AirfareWatchdog for Current Deals to Asia
Both these sites keep up-to-date listings of the best airfare deals. Fares are listed by both departure and arrival cities.
It’s a good idea to signup for their email alerts as well. Get updates sent to you when new sales are found.
2. The Best Websites for Cheap Tickets
There is no one-stop website for finding cheap airfares. If you want the best price you really do have to check all the main flight-search sites.
These are my favorites:
Each site can have access to different fares and block seat sales. There are no shortcuts – if you want the best fare you need to check all of them.
3. Fly With A Budget Airline To Asia
Low Cost Carriers are airlines like Air Asia, Nok Air, and Air India Express. Historically they’ve flown short routes within a country or between neighboring countries. But over the last few years they’ve been adding more international and long haul routes.
Budget airlines that fly to Asia from Europe:
Not sure who flies where? Use these very handy websites to figure what budget airlines fly to which cities:
4. Fly With A Budget Airline Within Asia
Budget airlines fly all over Asia and offer some fantastic fares. They’re a great way to cut costs and save time getting around the region.
5. Buy An Open-Jaw Ticket
This won’t save you money on your ticket. But it does save you money on your entire trip costs. If you can fly Los Angeles to Bangkok, use budget airlines to move around Asia for very affordable fares, and then return Singapore to Los Angeles, you’ll save yourself a one-way train ticket (or flight) from Singapore back to Bangkok. Plus you’ll save yourself a day – and perhaps an added night – of retracing your steps for no specific gain. Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore are all great airline hubs and thus make good options for being the start or end points of any open-jaw trip.
6. Save Money On Hotels Instead of Flights
You’ll often save far more money focusing your vacation research on hotels rather than flights. And the longer the trip the greater the proportion of your budget hotels will be.
If you save $150 on your flight to Bali it’s a one-time savings. But saving $50 a night on your hotel can add up to some big numbers if you’re traveling for more than 2 weeks.
The best website for finding hotel deals in Asia (or anywhere) is undeniably hotelscombined.com. It searches dozens of other websites for the best deals. It’s what I use.
Here are some helpful pages for affordable hotels in East and Southeast Asia:
So, spend some time searching for cheap tickets but don’t over do it.
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If I fly into Singapore what is a good city to fly home (San Francisco) from? I would like to see more of SE Asia than just Singapore but not sure what makes for a good itinerary without spending loads on airfare home.
Thank you for your time.
Depending on your interests I’d go either east through Indonesia and fly home from Bali (maybe via Hong Kong) or move north through Malaysia and Thailand and fly home from Bangkok. Having said that, there are so many cheap budget airlines in SE Asia that you could hop around the region with flights (on Air Asia or Nok Air, for example) and take in all the top attractions. So, if you wanted to see Bali, Bangkok, Koh Samui, and Hanoi that could easily be accomplished without too much expense and difficulty – so don’t feel limited by distance and train and bus schedules.
I found that (sometimes) the best way is to call airlines directly. Sometimes the internet is cheaper, sometimes the phone is cheaper, sometimes travel agents are cheaper. Check out all three to make sure you get the best deal. There are a few other simple suggestions you should follow too: Choose the same airline for all legs of your itinerary whenever possible so you can take advantage of all connecting and round-trip airfares. Try to fly on the least popular days: Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday. Remember that Saturday night stays are often required for most bargain airfares. Try to select the least popular flight times: mid-morning or late evening. Check with discount airlines for cheaper fares. Try to book as far in advance as possible. Generally try to purchase your tickets at least 21 days in advance of departure. Many airlines also have specials requiring three, seven or 14-day advanced purchase. In general, the cheapest airfares are available in the spring and summer. If you travel around the holidays, book your departure and return flights a day or more before and after peak travel dates. If you’re flexible, you might benefit by waiting until the last minute to book your flight because major carriers often run special sales. These sales, however, often have a long list of rules, restrictions and blackout dates. Consider booking tickets that come with restrictions because they also come with a cheaper price tag. Consider using alternate airports near your main airport. The extra drive can save you hundreds of dollars. Be as flexible as possible with your dates.