Bougie on a Budget

Have you ever wondered how some people manage to travel the world on a budget while snagging incredible deals? While numerous apps and companies are claiming to offer the best travel deals and booking tricks, I've personally found three websites that consistently impress me. By utilizing the power of platforms like Going.com, Fare Drop, and Skyscanner, and adopting a flexible approach to time and location, you'll be well on your way to embarking on unforgettable journeys while saving money. Please note that none of these companies have sponsored this article; I simply appreciate the deals I've found and booked through them.

Going.com: Going.com is my number one go-to site for finding incredible travel deals. This platform offers deal notifications via email and provides both free and paid membership options. One of the most crucial lessons I've learned in my search for good deals is the importance of flexibility. While I usually have a few desired locations in mind, it's essential to remain open to other possibilities. Going offers three membership tiers: Limited, Premier, and Elite. The Limited tier is free but has a lower and delayed deal frequency, covering only economy class on international flights. The Premium tier is the next step up, offering a higher frequency of real-time deals (which can be a game-changer for time-sensitive offers that last only hours). It covers economy and includes both international and domestic deals, as well as mistake fares. Since 2017, I've been a Premium member and have discovered countless deals to dream destinations like Iceland, Japan, Ireland, Germany, and Hawaii. The Elite tier caters to those searching for business class seats, providing all the benefits of the Premium tier plus economy, premium economy, business, and first-class deals, as well as priority support. Another advantage is that all bookings are made through Google Flights, ensuring a safe and legitimate purchasing experience. Overall, Going.com is my favorite source for travel deals, and I highly recommend it. There is also a new feature that allows you to track destinations, so you get an extra notification for your chosen locations. If you are active or prior military there's also an additional discount, so be sure to take advantage of that too. 

 Skyscanner: Skyscanner is another great tool that can help you find unbeatable travel deals. This is where I go if I don’t have flexibility in the travel dates or location to find the best deal (think wedding, birthday, or some pre-planned event). It allows you to set parameters for a search, save them, and receive a notification if they see the price drop. You can set up multiple save searches to check different airports' dates and times to make sure you find the best deal. There is also a low fare calendar as well to help you key in on times based on ticket price. This is more of the normal search engine, you can also filter on layovers, flight arrival and departure times, and airlines. It's good for searching a lot of airlines at once (keep in mind they don’t have Southwest so check them separately).

Fare Drop: I won’t lie that I haven't set up an account with Fare Drop. This is because it offers similar deals to Going.com, and upon comparing them, I didn't see the added value in signing up for both platforms. However, I do subscribe to their newsletter and genuinely appreciate the expertise of the creators behind Fare Drop. They have a YouTube channel where they share valuable tips and tricks for travel hacking, maximizing your points, and getting the best value for your money.

 I hope you found some if not all of this information helpful. I’m passionate about sharing the tools I’ve found over the years and encouraging everyone to find the deals and the time to experience incredible places.

*There are links included in the above blog. I do receive a small commission if you choose to purchase via those links. All products are used regularly and are truthfully my favorite products.*