At TooSIM, we don’t just help you save on roaming with our travel eSIM – we also share tips on cutting costs for accommodation and flights. Find out when and how to look for airfare, as well as which sites and apps can make your trip more budget-friendly.
Use Incognito Mode to Search Flights and Get Lower Prices
If you don’t use incognito mode, websites can access your search history. Seeing that you’re interested in a specific destination and dates, they may gradually raise prices for you. Even refreshing the same page once can increase a ticket’s cost by $10-20. Alongside incognito mode, we recommend using VPN services like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark. This helps hide your location and can give you access to more variations of cheaper flights. The key is to prevent websites from tracking your:
- Search history;
- Cookies;
- Cache.
Remember: it’s best to first check prices on comparison sites (aggregators like Skyscanner or Travelocity), and only once you’ve finalized your dates and destination, go directly to the airline’s website to make your purchase.
Book Mid-Week Flights to Save Money
Research shows that ticket sales tend to rise toward the weekend. This happens because many people work a standard schedule and plan their trips for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. As a result, airlines usually increase prices for those days across most routes.
The lowest fares are typically found on weekdays, especially Wednesday and Thursday, with potential savings of 40-60%. For example:
- Paris – Madrid: Wednesday (Oct 1) – €24, Thursday (Oct 2) – €17, Saturday (Oct 4) – €43, Sunday (Oct 5) – €43 **; ** The info is sourced from Skyscanner.
- Madrid – Lima: Wednesday (Oct 1) – €466, Thursday (Oct 2) – €432, Friday (Oct 3) – €485, Saturday – €502.
However, this isn’t a strict rule. Some routes occasionally offer discounted fares even on the weekend. If your schedule is flexible, it’s worth checking prices a few days (or even weeks) before and after your intended travel dates.
Compare Accommodation Booking Sites for Cheaper Stays
For the same property, whether it’s a hotel room, a rental apartment or house, or a hostel bed, prices can vary significantly across different platforms like Booking, Airbnb, and Agoda. You can check out a list of the best apps and platforms for finding and booking places to stay during your travels via the link.
Price differences can be small (up to 10%) or substantial (40-50%). The main reasons for these variations include:
- Dynamic pricing. Each platform adjusts costs depending on demand for a specific property. For example, if a hotel has been frequently booked recently on Booking, its price may be higher than on Airbnb, where there haven’t been many reservations;
- Platform-specific discounts. Booking.com often runs promotions of 30-50%, while Airbnb may provide lower rates for long-term stays of a month or more;
- Service fees. Each platform charges different fees for its services;
- Owner decisions. Sometimes the property owner chooses to lower the price on a particular listing.
Tip: Prices can also fluctuate depending on the length of your stay (for example, booking 7 nights instead of 6 could trigger a discount) and the dates. If your schedule is flexible, try checking slightly different periods – plus or minus 1-3 days – to see how it affects the final price.
Reduce Mobile Roaming Fees with TooSIM eSIM
To make your trip comfortable and avoid overpaying for roaming, activate a TooSIM travel eSIM. Flexible plans range from 1 to 50 GB, including local options for a single country (Italy, Spain, Dominican Republic) and regional plans for longer trips across Europe, Asia, or Latin America. Prices start at $3.99. Read more about our offers here.
Earn Rewards and Discounts by Joining Hotel Loyalty Programs
Regular use of the same app or platform (Booking.com, Airbnb, Agoda) often improves your profile and gives you access to bonus points and various loyalty programs. For example, options on popular accommodation booking platforms include:
- Booking.com: The platform offers the Genius Program. You automatically become a participant and achieve Genius status after registering and completing 2 to 5 bookings (the exact number varies depending on the region – Europe, Asia, South America – and type of property). In most cases, 2 bookings are enough. To reach the next level, Genius 2, you typically need an additional 5 to 15 bookings and at least 2 trips per year. The top tier is Genius 3. Advancing your status allows you to enjoy extra discounts on accommodation (10-15%) and additional perks such as free cancellation, room upgrades, and complimentary breakfasts or lunches.
- Agoda: The platform has the Agoda Rewards program, which awards AgodaCash points. While you cannot withdraw these points, you can use them to pay for future bookings. Program members also enjoy additional benefits, including exclusive promo (low prices), discounted rates, and other special privileges.
Conclusion
To make your trip abroad more budget-friendly, always monitor flight fares using incognito mode + a VPN, plan your travel with the knowledge that tickets are often cheapest on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and save up to 60% on roaming with TooSIM Travel eSIM. When choosing accommodation, don’t rely on prices from just one platform. We’ve highlighted some of the bes