One of the biggest regrets people talk about in life is wishing they’d traveled more. But with the price of airline tickets being what they are today, it’s a luxury that some simply can’t afford.
That is, until now. Thanks to a clever flight hack posted by TikTok user @mcmillansonthego, there’s now a tried and true method that will help you to get cheaper flights every time.
@mcmillansonthego is a TikTok user and entrepreneur.
Her account is littered with videos designed to help new and seasoned travelers get the most out of their vacations. @mcmillansonthego has videos on everything: she can help you book a hotel or even suggest a good spot to eat/drink while abroad.
By far, her most popular video teaches users how to get the most bang for their buck while purchasing flights.
The mistake that most travelers make is booking their travel arrangements through a 3rd party vendor like Expedia or Hopper. These companies charge a service fee, which often results in a much higher cost incurred by the traveler.
Instead of buying tickets online, @mcmillansonthego suggests travelers go straight to the airport.
“You can actually go to the airport and purchase your tickets at the counter,” she explains in the video. It might sound like a nightmare, but it’s not nearly as stressful as it sounds.
Most people assume you have to buy your ticket the day of departure, but @mcmillansonthego says this isn’t the case.
You can of course purchase on the day of departure if you so choose, but @mcmillansonthego says the hack will still work for tickets purchased for a future date.
The one stipulation is that the hack only works on certain airlines.
You won’t have much luck if you’re looking to fly on larger airlines, like American or Delta. However, discount carriers like Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant will work just fine.
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Purchasing tickets from these airlines at the airport desk can save passengers $20-$50 on average.
To prove her point, @mcmillansonthego begins by showing the price of her flight as is advertised online. The total cost to fly from Puerto Rico to Florida is upwards of $250.
When @mcmillansonthego buys her ticket at the airport, the savings are shocking.
The fare itself was only $4 and the taxes and fees came in at $28.80 — bringing the grand total to $32.80. When compared to the original online price of $251, that’s a savings of more than $100!
Eager TikTok users and fellow travelers couldn’t wait to try the hack out for themselves.
“It worked,” TokTok user @paola.Oxx said . The airline was able to change the cost of travel from “$105 dollars down to $75 for two tickets.”
Some users questioned the cost-effectiveness of the hack by factoring in things like parking costs and time spent.
If you don’t happen to live in a city with a major airport, then it probably isn’t a great idea to jump in your car and drive hours on end in order to shave $20 from the cost of your ticket.
However, for those fortunate to live in a major metropolitan center, it’s worth consideration.
Try and arrive early in the morning, so as to avoid peak flying times and long lines. If at all possible, have a friend drive you and circle around the airport until you purchase the ticket.
So long as you’re willing to sacrifice the creature comforts of big airlines, you could potentially save yourself hundreds.
I don’t know about you but I’d be willing to bet that discount airlines like Frontier, Spirit and Ryan Air are about to see serious boosts in their overall booking numbers. If it can help get the cost of travel down, then why not?
