How to find cheap flights to anywhere

Just from using my credit card for things like my groceries, gym membership, cellphone bill and dinners out, I’ve earned enough points to get amazing deals on flights (like Ottawa–Iqaluit for $99 and Toronto–Prague for $37). Admittedly, those points took a long time to save up, but the flights were worth the wait.

6. Join airline loyalty programs

You don’t need a travel credit card to earn airline points. Instead, any time you fly on an airline that offers a loyalty program, sign up. It’s free to join.

Air Canada’s Aeroplan, WestJet Rewards and VIPorter all award miles or points, no co-branded credit card required. Or you can sign up for a general Air Miles account. That loyalty program partners with those three airlines plus Air Transat, Air North and international carriers like Emirates, KLM and Lufthansa. (Do you need one of Porter Airlines’ new BMO credit cards?)

You can even register for loyalty programs with non-Canadian airlines. From one Toronto–Reykjavik flight with Icelandair, I earned $40 worth of Saga points, which I redeemed on another flight with that airline a few years later. Even a small discount is better than nothing.

7. Follow flight deals

Airlines occasionally have sales, which they announce on social media and in their newsletters.

You can also sign up for alerts from travel deal sites like Travelzoo and YYZ Deals, which also runs YHZ Deals for cheap flights from Halifax, YYC Deals for cheap flights from Calgary, YVR Deals for cheap flights from Vancouver, and others. They’ll send you emails for heavily discounted flights and even “mistake fares,” when airlines accidentally post super-low prices. Yes, that really happens.

Then there are independent bloggers and social media influencers to follow, too. The Canadian Jetsetter and Next Departure post flight deals and tips for booking on credit card points.

8. Fly “basic” (but only when it makes sense)

Almost every airline has started to offer basic fares, which are cheaper than economy seats but charge extra for things like carry-on bags or choosing your seat. Some, like WestJet’s UltraBasic, don’t allow carry-ons at all for domestic routes (although you can check a bag, for a fee). These fares can make sense for short getaways. For example, budget airline Ryanair is wildly popular in Europe for no-frills country hops.