Flying is expensive, even though the prices of flights have come down considerably in the past few years; it is still a big chunk out of anyone’s holiday. With the increase of budget airlines flying has become more affordable, but that doesn’t stop it being a hurdle for many people wishing to go away on holiday. By being creative as to how you pay for your flights, you can save money, earn rewards and even get free flights! Unless you’re a frequent flyer, chances are you haven’t even considered the many ways you can reduce the cost of flying, so here are our suggestion of top ways to pay for your flights:

With your credit card –
Paying by credit card is the easiest way to book flights online and is the most common. If you’re planning an around-the-world trip, you can easily spend a few thousand dollars on booking your flights, even more if it’s for a whole family. This is a considerable sum of money and many credit card companies offer rewards for purchases. If your standard credit card does not offer any rewards for purchasing power, call your bank to find out more information on whether there are any credit cards available that will give you added benefits. Some credit cards also include travel insurance, which can further reduce your travel costs.

With Avios –
Avios is a rewards payment system where you collect points and then can redeem them for numerous things related to travel – flights, trains, hotels and even activities in some countries. This is a great way to pay for your flights, because you’re collecting points on things you’d already purchase, but in the end you receive free travel bonuses. Many people find travel to be too expensive to justify, but by using Avios and other points gathering programs you can easily save enough credits for a holiday with your normal spending habits.

With frequent flyer points:
If you travel for business, you should be making sure you are collecting your frequent flyer points so you can use them for personal travel. Many frequent flyer point systems offer the ability to transfer between family members or nominated people, allowing you to share frequent flyer points to keep the cost of flights down. You can substitute the price of a flight, or pay for the whole flight depending on how many frequent flyer points you have. If you are flying a long distance or regularly, it can be a good idea to sign up for frequent flyer points so that you can start reaping the rewards.

These are the three main ways to pay for flights and by using a combination of these methods you can ensure that your holiday is as affordable as possible.

What’s your preferred way of paying for your flights? Do you have any other tips for keeping the prices of flights down?