The Genius Booking Hack That Can Help You Save On International Flights
International travel is all about immersing yourself in new experiences, soaking in diverse cultures, and creating memories that last a lifetime. However, getting to your dream destination can sometimes come with a hefty price tag. From accommodation to local transportation, there are countless expenses to consider before planning a trip — and flight costs can easily eat up a large chunk of your travel budget.
Luckily, Reddit user u/Huge-Recognition-366 offered a quick and simple airline booking hack to help you save money and still secure the flight you want. All it takes is a few clicks — and maybe a translator tool handy — to get you there. According to the Redditor, the next time you're hunting online for an international flight, simply switch the site's language from English to the destination's local language and change the price display from USD to the local currency. From there, just watch and see. Your international flight may cost less after you change these settings.
Getting the best deal on flights
Consider this scenario: You're hoping to find a good deal on a direct flight from New York City to Madrid. You hop on Iberia — the national carrier of Spain — and start searching. With your navigation set to English, the prices show as $322 for an economy seat and $937 for premium economy. However, a few taps here and there on the site's navigation bar, and you can set the site's language to Spanish. From there, you'll see the same flight's economy seat costs 295€ — around $320 as of this writing, which means a $2 saving. More impressively, though, the turista premium (premium economy) fare drops to 699€ — which is approximately $759 and saves you nearly $178. Think of how many sangrías that could get you!
The strategy also applies to local flights within foreign countries. For instance, let's say you're a tourist visiting Colombia and looking at flights from Cartagena to Bogotá. In English, the 90-minute trip costs around $65. Switch over to Spanish, though, and the flight changes to $257,000 COP — which translates to about $62.
Sure, these standalone numbers don't necessarily seem like much. However, many travelers have reported scoring big savings by switching over to the local airline language and currency. From the few bucks highlighted above to the $700 saved by u/Huge-Recognition-366 on their trip to Peru, it all goes to show that selecting the right currency can lead to substantial benefits — especially for those who travel regularly.