An Essential Guide for Corporate Travel Managers on How to Find Cheap Flights

Corporate travel managers serve as the gatekeepers of fiscal responsibility. They need to find cheap flights to help their company save money. This job isn’t easy! It involves knowing a lot about how flight prices work, what airlines do to set their prices, and how to find cheap flights. With their knowledge and connections, travel managers search for the best flight deals for employees on corporate trips. 

However, if you’ve recently found yourself grappling with the challenge of securing the best flight deals, do not worry. This blog is tailored to equip you with the strategies necessary to know how to find the cheapest tickets.

5 Ways to Find Cheap Flights for Arranging Business Trips

Here are some ways to find cheap airlines:

1. Depart on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Saturdays

According to U.S. News, the most cost-effective days to book flights are typically Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. These days generally see lower airfare because they are less popular for travel. Business travelers predominantly fly on Sundays, Mondays, and Fridays, creating higher demand for flights on these days. This increased demand drives up ticket prices, making these days more expensive for air travel. 

For those looking to save money on airfare, planning trips around these cheaper days can result in significant savings. Meanwhile, understanding the travel patterns of business travelers and how to find cheap flights can help manage travel budgets.

2. The Best Way is to Book with the Airline Directly

Booking directly with airlines offers several advantages, leading to a smoother and potentially more cost-effective travel experience. This approach often results in lower prices, as airlines may offer exclusive deals or discounts unavailable through third-party booking platforms. 

For corporate travel managers overseeing group bookings or complex itineraries, booking directly with airlines can be particularly beneficial. It allows for more flexibility in customizing travel arrangements to suit your organization’s specific needs. 

Moreover, booking directly with airlines provides peace of mind regarding flight cancellations and delays. Under federal law, airlines must offer a 24-hour window during which travelers can cancel their flights and receive a full refund. This can be especially advantageous for corporate travelers whose plans may change unexpectedly. 

By booking directly with the airline, you can easily navigate cancellation policies, making adjusting travel plans as needed simpler.

3. How to Find Cheap Flights using Google Flights or Skyscanner

If you opt not to book directly with airlines, you can leverage popular flight comparison websites like Google Flights or Skyscanner to streamline your search for the best deals. These platforms offer a user-friendly interface that allows you to quickly compare prices across multiple airlines, dates, and destinations

Price Alerts

Google Flights and Skyscanner offer price alert features that notify you when prices change for your desired route. By setting up alerts, you can stay informed about price fluctuations and book your flights at the most opportune moment to secure the best deal. This allows you to get the best deals without knowing much about how to find low cost flights.

Explore Feature

If you’re open to exploring new destinations, Google Flights’ “Explore” feature and Skyscanner’s “Everywhere” search tool can inspire your travel plans by showcasing affordable flights to various destinations worldwide. This lets you discover hidden gems and take advantage of budget-friendly travel opportunities.

Multi-City Search

Google Flights and Skyscanner offer multi-city search functionality for complex itineraries involving multiple destinations. This allows you to book interconnected flights seamlessly, simplifying the process of planning and booking multi-stop trips for your corporate travelers.

4. Book Flights in Advance

According to a study, if you’re planning international travel, knowing how to find cheap flights within six months in advance is essential. This can save you around 10% compared to booking closer to your travel date.

Booking 4-5 months early for international flights also has an advantage. After booking, before your travel date, if the price of that same flight decreases, you can often change your booking without paying any fees. Instead of receiving a refund in cash, the airline may issue you a voucher for the price difference. 

While this voucher can’t be used as cash, it can be applied towards the cost of future flights with the same airline. So, by booking early and monitoring for price drops, you have the opportunity to save money on your current and future travels.

For domestic flights, you don’t need to book too much in advance. You can usually get a good deal 28-35 days prior to departure.

5. Leverage Capital One Price Drop Protection

Capital One Travel’s price prediction tool helps travelers make informed booking decisions. It analyzes past data and current trends to predict when flight prices will likely be the lowest. Here are the details of the program.

Price Prediction Tool:

• Capital One Travel partners with Hopper to offer a robust tool that predicts flight prices based on historical data and current market trends.
• When searching for flights on Capital One Travel, users receive recommendations to either book immediately or wait for potentially better prices.
• The tool estimates the optimal booking time, potentially saving users an average of 15% on their flight costs.

Price Drop Protection:

• If the price prediction tool advises immediate booking and users proceed, they receive complimentary price drop protection. Instead of knowing how to find cheap flights, it tells you the predicted drop.
• Capital One Travel monitors the flight price for 10 days after booking.
• If the fare decreases during this period, users receive a travel credit for the price difference, up to $50.
• For instance, if the fare drops by $115, users receive a $50 travel credit; if it drops by $35, they receive a $35 credit.

Price Match Guarantee:

• If users find a lower price for the same flight, hotel, or rental car on another platform within 24 hours of booking through Capital One Travel, they are eligible for a travel credit for the price difference.
• Users can contact Capital One Travel at 844-422-6922 to submit a price match claim with the customer support team.
• Users receive a travel credit for the price difference if the lower price is confirmed during the call.
• If the support team is unable to verify the lower price immediately, they review the claim and respond accordingly.

Save Money With itilite Flight Bookings

We hope this blog helped you understand how to find the cheapest tickets. These methods can effectively simplify corporate flight bookings and secure the best deals. 

However, nothing streamlines the process quite like leveraging an end-to-end corporate travel management software. With itilite, you gain access to a powerful tool that simplifies the booking process and ensures that you consistently secure the most advantageous deals available.

How to how to find cheap flights with itilite? You get:

Direct Negotiation with Airlines

itilite directly negotiates with airlines to secure exclusive deals and discounts, flight loyalty programs, ensuring you always get the best prices for your corporate flights. All of this is done without you having to worry about finding low cost flights.

Automatic Price Drop Rebooking

With itilite, you don’t need to monitor prices for potential drops constantly. The software automatically rebooks your flights if the price decreases, guaranteeing maximum savings without any effort on your part.

Curated Deals and Discounts

itilite scours the market for the best deals and discounts, sourcing exclusive offers that are tailored to your corporate travel needs. Say goodbye to endless scouting for deals – itilite does the work for you.

Why wait? With itilite, you can simplify your corporate flight bookings, secure the best deals, and streamline your travel management process today.