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How FlightsFinder finds you the cheapest flexible flights with the world's best comparison sites

We have developed one of the world's most powerful flexible flight search engines here at FlightsFinder. Search 'Everywhere' from your local departure airport or search for particular destinations and view flexible date prices via our calendar. You can select the cheapest flights three days before or after your chosen dates, the whole month or the entire year. You can filter results on our calendar to show direct only flights if you wish. We also have your back if you are looking for flights with no cancellation fees. Select the filter which says 'no change fees' on our primary search engine, and we will show you flexible flights that you can alter without any charge. We also allow you to quickly compare the world's best comparison engines from one dashboard, including KAYAK, Skyscanner, momondo, Kiwi.com, Jetradar, etc.

How to find cheap flexible flights: Questions & Answers

What are the top 5 flexible flight search engines.

The top 5 flexible flight search engines, if you are searching for flexible flight dates, are Skyscanner, KAYAK, momondo, Kiwi.com and Google flights. These are powerful search engines with some form of calendar view showing the cheapest days to book your flight. Here at FlightsFinder, we use data from multiple aggregators to populate our flight calendar, making it one of the most complete you can see online. The difference with our search engine is that once you have identified the cheapest days to fly, you can then go on and compare all of the world's leading search engines from one dashboard, potentially saving you up to 20% off your next airline ticket.

How much can I save with flexible flights?

The number one factor affecting flight prices are the days you choose to fly. The savings can be truly remarkable if you look a month or two either side of your flight times or even check a few days. For example, if you wanted to fly to London from New York in May, It could set you back by about $442. However, our flexible search will tell you that the price will be around $300 in March. If you want to check a few days before or after your travel dates, select our check box in the flexible dates field that says +/- 3 days. To find the cheapest flight in the entire month, select 'whole month' and select' whole year' to find the best possible return flight price across the entire year.

How to find flexible flights that have no cancellation fees?

In a post covid world, it has become necessary to find tickets that you can amend quickly if unexpected events occur. Common issues that may mean you need to change your booking are the travel policies shifting of a country you intend on visiting by requiring you to quarantine on arrival or on your return, which may not be feasible. Or you may become ill, requiring you to change your travel plans. Whatever the case may be, many airlines charge a premium for you to change or amend your booking once made. To get around these exorbitant change fees, it is sometimes wise to look for flexible flights that have no change fees. You can find these 'no change fees' tickets on our site via our first flight search engine results. Select the filter that says 'no change fees', and we will show you the flights via KAYAK with flexible rebooking options for no extra charge. Just check the change fees for a regular booking to see if the price is lower than booking a flexible 'no change fee' flight.

How to use Skyscanner flexible dates?

Skyscanner has one of the world's most comprehensive flexible date flight engines. They offer users the ability to search from entire countries to 'everywhere' - for example, the United States to anywhere in the world. This search shows you the cheapest airports to fly to from your departing country. Moreover, Skyscanner lets you select on their calendar which month you would like to travel in (for a monthly overview) or select the 'cheapest month', which will tell you the cheapest month to fly in the whole year. They have flexible calendars for both one way and return flights. The downside to the Skyscanner flexible dates calendar is that it only shows flights found by users in the last four days, which sometimes mean the results can be outdated. Moreover, less travelled routes contain fewer historical prices and sometimes none. We use Skyscanner data to populate our calendars; the only difference is that we let you compare numerous flight comparison site results alongside Skyscanner results which often lead to savings, sometimes up to 20%.

How to use KAYAK flexible dates?

KAYAK has a handy 'explore' feature which shows you the best flexible flight deals plotted on an interactive global map. All you need is to enter your departure airport, and the map will show you the best domestic and international flight deals found by other KAYAK users in the last 48 hours. You can also refine your results by searching for a particular country, a specific month, direct flights or flights with stops, budget, duration and type of trip. Once again, because it relies on other users' historical usage, you may find that less searched for routes have little data about them. You can play around with their flexible calendar here: KAYAK/explore . Once you have found a deal on KAYAK, we encourage you to use our site to price check against multiple other aggregators on our website as, on occasion, they can beat the prices found on KAYAK.

How to use Google flights flexible dates?

Google flights have the fastest search engine on the planet, results load in seconds, and they have very comprehensive calendars which show you the cheapest days to travel in the entire month. You can see their flexible flight price calendars by selecting the 'date grid' or the 'price graph' buttons. The date grid presents data in a calendar view whilst the price graph shows you flights in bar graph form. The ITA matrix provides the data and is not dependent on previous searchers to populate it, making it some of the most comprehensive flexible flight data on the web. However, it is a fact that Google flights don't always get you the best possible deal due to the limited number of OTA's Google searches. To get the best possible benefit from them, we recommend you get the best dates to fly from their flexible calendars, then come to FlightsFinder.com and compare multiple aggregators on those dates and see if you can save even more. You can often save up to 20% more simply by checking numerous flight aggregators via our easy to use dashboard.

How to use Kiwi.com flexible dates?

Kiwi.com is the Czech Republic's biggest metasearch engine famous for finding cheap flights by virtual interlining, stitching together fares from airlines that traditionally do not work together. You can find their flexible flight calendars on their search results page by selecting the 'pricing table' or to view a bar graph of the lowest priced flights instead, pick 'price trends'. Their flexible flight results are very comprehensive, and you can find data on even the most obscure routes. Once again, we suggest finding the best days to fly by using our Flexi calendars then price checking their live results with our multi aggregator tab based flight dashboard to see if you can pinch a bit more off your ticket.

How to find the cheapest flexible flight 3 days before or after your flight

Sometimes you can find cheaper flights if you look a few days on either side of your travel dates if your schedule permits. Please enter your departure and arrival airports, then select your preferred dates of flying; after that, choose our flexible dates tab and check the box which says +/- 3 days. We will then take you to our flexible dates calendar to quickly look at prices on surrounding dates. Please note that the display prices were found in the last 15 days and may no longer be available - the only way to check live availability is to select a date and click 'show flights' - then compare multiple live prices.

How to find the cheapest flexible flight in the entire month

Our flight finder also allows you to find the cheapest return flight in any particular month. For example, say you wanted to see the most inexpensive return flight from Miami to Toronto or Los Angeles to Mexico City in June. First, enter your departure airport to one of those arrival cities. After that, select some dates in June in our calendar; select the flexible dates tab, and check the box that says 'whole month'. We will then show you the cheapest combination of departure and arrival dates for your search on our calendar in that particular month. Our results are colour coded so that the lowest price will be in blue, whilst lower prices will be in green while the more expensive days will be in red. Once again, prices are rough guides only found by other users in the last 15 days.

How to find the cheapest flexible flight in the entire year?

If you are highly flexible with your travel dates, you may want to know the cheapest flights possible in the entire year between two city destinations. For example - what's the cheapest flight from New York to Las Vegas in the whole year?. Our flight finder allows you to do this in seconds. First of all, enter your departure and arrival cities, then select our flexible dates tab, after that check the box which say 'whole year.' We will then pinpoint the cheapest date combinations to fly in seconds on our calendar in the entire year. This option is also particularly useful in uncovering potential error fares and is the quickest way to find unbelievable flight deals.

How to find the cheapest flexible flights to anywhere?

If you don't have a fixed destination in mind and are looking for inspiration on where to fly next, we recommend using our 'flexible - search everywhere' option. First, enter your departure airport, select 'search everywhere', then enter the dates you are looking to travel or look for the cheapest flights in the entire month or the entire year by checking the relevant box. Once you click search, we will list the most affordable destinations fitting your search parameters leaving from your chosen departure airport. You can also refine flights to see direct options by selecting the 'direct only' check box on our destinations list.

How to find the cheapest flight to a particular country?

To find the cheapest flight to a particular country, we recommend using the search everywhere option in our search engine. You can then select the country you are interested in visiting in the destinations list, and we will show you the cheapest cities in that country to fly to. Another alternate way of seeing the best deals to any country is by using our recent deals carousel engine. You can find this below our main search engine form. To use the recent deals engine, enter your departure airport and enter the country you are interested in visiting; you can refine flights by month or select 'anytime' to show you the cheapest deals we have ever found.

How to find the cheapest flight to a particular city?

To find the cheapest flights to any city, enter your desired destination in our search engine. After that, you choose to see the best deal in the entire year by selecting the year on our flexible dates checklist; this will give you the lowest prices ever found. Select the 'whole month' for costs in a particular month and +/- 3 days to see a few days on different sides of your chosen travel dates.

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Flexible Dates And Destination Flight Search

At Kiwi.com, we know our customers love to travel on their terms. We recognize there’s a hunger out there for people to be able to explore the world at their own pace, and that’s why we have introduced our flexible flight ticket, Flexi Ticket.

Why lock yourself into concrete plans when you can book a ticket that allows you to change the dates and only pay the difference in the flight price? Well, we’re about to open your mind up to a whole new way of traveling.

Keep reading to find out about flexible international flight tickets and how they can transform the way you discover new destinations in the future.

• What Is Flexible Travel?

Flexible travel is becoming more and more popular as time goes on. It’s a style of travel that permits someone to adapt their plans according to changing circumstances, whether changing flight dates or flying with a different airline to arrive in a city faster.

Kiwi’s Flexible Flight Search – How It Works And Why It Makes Us The Best Flights Search Engine For Flexible Dates

Kiwi.com’s goal is to make travel as simple and affordable for everyone through flexible flight destination/location search and ticket types.

Have you ever been in a situation where you want to go on vacation but don’t know where or when? Well, that’s where our flexible flight destination and location search comes in handy. Instead of you choosing a fixed departure date and location, let us find you the best deal.

If our flexible date flight search option isn’t enough for you, make your trip even more amendable with one of our three ticket types, Saver, Standard, and Flexi. All offer different kinds of features if you need to change or cancel your trip, which we will get into further through the article.

How To Search For Flights With Flexible Travel Dates And Locations on Kiwi.com

Get your hands on some unbeatable flexible travel deals with just a few clicks. See how you can do this below.

• Step 1 – Log on to our homepage .
• Step 2 – Type in the airport you want to fly from.
• Step 3 – Instead of choosing a city you want to fly to, choose the ‘anywhere’ option.
• Step 4 – For the departure date section, click ‘anytime.’
• Step 5 – Wait for the page to load with all your travel options.

A low-fare tip: you don’t have to leave yourself wide open with the ‘anytime’ option for travel dates. You can also choose +1, +3, and +5 days to give yourself some level of flexibility. For example, say you had the whole month of June off for your summer holidays but only want to go away for two weeks; this would benefit you.

@kiwi.com Flexibility pays off… #wehacktravel #wehackthesystem #kiwicomtravel #traveltips #travelhacks #anytimetravel #traveltok ♬ Healing Solfeggio Frequency 528Hz(817269) – Ikumi Tanuma

• What You Need To Know About Flexible Tickets

Flexible tickets authorize passengers to change the terms of the ticket after they have purchased it. Once someone has purchased one of these airfares, they can cancel it whenever they want with 80% of the refund returned or change the departure to a later date, depending on which one they’ve bought. While these tickets have huge benefits, it’s important to know that they come with a strict set of rules you should know before booking.

• The Types Of Flexible Flight Tickets

Kiwi provides three different flexible tickets that come with their own set of rules. Before booking a flight with us, you’ll be asked which one you want to purchase. Let’s break down each ticket.

Saver Tickets

Saver tickets are the most affordable of the three. They’re usually booked by anyone who has concrete plans and doesn’t plan on making any changes.

Saver Ticket Rules

• If you need to make any changes to your trip, you must pay the full price for a new fare.
• If you have to cancel your flight altogether, you will receive a €10 credit that can be used with Kiwi.com. This is only for bookings over €20.
• Any changes or cancellations you want can be made up to 48 hours before the departure time.
• Anyone who has booked the flight within a week of the departure date can make changes up to 4 hours before take off.

Standard Tickets

Standard tickets give travelers some flexibility, but not as much as the flexi ticket. They’re for those who think they might have to change their flight date but have no plans to cancel it totally.

Standard Ticket Rules

• If you need to change your flight dates, you’ll only have to pay whatever the difference is in price. Say the price is lower or the same; you won’t have to pay anything, it’s absolutely free.
• If you have to cancel your trip, unfortunately, you won’t get a refund; you’ll only receive the €10 credit, like the saver ticket.
• Any fare changes must be made at the latest 48 hours before departure, unless you booked your ticket within a week of the departure date. In that case, you can apply changes 4 hours before take off.

Changes to a standard ticket can only be made once. If you have to make another change, you must follow the same rules for saver tickets.

Flexi Tickets

Flexi Tickets guarantee travelers the freedom to book airfares without worrying about not getting their money back if they change their mind last minute. Backpackers, in particular, love our Flexi Ticket option.

Flexi Ticket Rules

• If you want to change the dates of your departure, you can do so freely. All you have to do is pay the difference between flight tickets, or if it’s less, you don’t have to pay anything.
• If you need to take advantage of the free flight cancellation option for your booking, you can do so up to 48 hours before departure, and you’ll receive 80% of the fee you paid to the carrier, including bags and seats. You’ll have a choice of how you want to be paid, either through money or Kiwi Credit.
• Like the other options, if you booked the fare within a week of departure, you can amend it up to 4 hours before.

Please note that when a customer cancels a Standard or Flexi Ticket with us, we usually refund them even if the carrier has a different refund policy. If, in the future, they decide to reimburse you with the money, we will keep that as a service fee for refunding you already.

Standard Ticket VS. Flexible Tickets – Which One Should You Choose

Standard and Flexible Tickets both come with their perks, but they’re also for two different kinds of travelers. Standard tickets are for someone who will travel to the destination, regardless of whether their plans change; it just might be later. In comparison, flexible tickets fall into the category of people who may or may not actually go on the trip but want to have something booked just in case.

Before choosing the right ticket for you, ask yourself the following questions.

• Is there a chance your dates of travel will change?
• Could there be a possibility that you don’t go at all?
• What Is The Difference Between Flexi And Saver Flights?

Flexi and saver Tickets are completely different from each other.

Flexi Tickets come with a variety of advantages, such as an 80% refund and simple flight changes, with you only having to pay the difference. Whereas with a saver ticket, you don’t get any of these perks. If you run into any trouble and need to adapt your itinerary, you’ll be forced to pay for the change, or if you cancel, you won’t get a refund.

Want more interesting tips and information on traveling? Read more Kiwi.com articles!

• Introduction
• Kiwi's Flexible Flight Search
• How To Search For Flights
• Standard Ticket VS. Flexible Tickets

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Updated: How a flexible date airfare search can save money

See recent posts by George Hobica

People who have flexible dates get the best fares. There's no magic day to buy a fare, although there are cheaper days to fly--for domestic U.S. travel it's Tuesday and Wednesday, and for international trips it's usually Monday to Wednesday or Thursday.

You can often save hundreds of dollars by flying when the going is cheap, and sometimes it just requires tweaking dates by a few days. Indeed, Airfarewatchdog.com lists airfares based on the lowest possible price, assuming that you’re date-flexible, which is why people with specific travel dates often don't find the fares we list.

It's disappointing that Travelocity, Orbitz, Hotwire and Expedia have dumbed-down their flexible date search tools, in part because these searches place a lot of stress on their computer systems (searching for a needle in a haystack is more data-intensive than search just a specific date). But a few good options still exist, along with an interesting newcomer.

Here are some tools we use to find the cheapest flights. You can play too!

Google Flights

Google has two robust products, with data powered by ITA Software, a fare provider Google now owns.

Google.com/flights is for people who have specific travel dates.

Google.com/flights/explore is for people with flexible dates and flexible itineraries.

It doesn't show fares on Southwest, Allegiant, and a few other airlines, such as Turkish Airlines, but it has most carriers.

Kayak, a meta-search travel site rather than an OTA (the difference between meta search and OTA is explained here ), has a robust flexible date search, also powered by ITA Software (see below). First you have to sign up with your email. From the flights tab click on the "more search options" link under "find flights" and then choose Flex month. Specify a departure date and a trip length, either a single number of nights or a range of up to any seven days (such as 6-8 or 18-25). You won’t find Southwest, Allegiant, or Ryanair, but you will find a wide range of destinations, domestic and international. Once in a while, however, you’ll click through on fare found via flexible search and find that it’s not available. That’s just the nature of the beast. And you may not find the best possible routings, since airlines apparently don’t share their entire inventories with third-party sites.

No discussion of flexible date airfare search can exclude ITA Software’s Matrix Airfare Search function, but read why it shouldn’t be relied on as the Holy Grail . We actually like the Google Flights implementation of this data better.

This newish, under-the-radar site is a very cool airfare search product for many reasons. You enter a "to" and "from" airport and then a trip length such as "about two weeks" and you'll see a bar graph showing the fares for dates in that range.

Some airlines have good flexible date search tools as well. Jetblue.com

A great page to search is their Best Fare Finder . You have to find your outbound flight date first and then search for the return if flying round-trip.

One of the positive changes United made when it combined the Continental website with its own was to introduce an excellent flexible date function. From the home page “Flight” tab choose a calendar start date, a length of trip, click on “My dates are flexible” choose a length of stay and search. Use the blue forward arrow to the right of the calendar search through United’s entire schedule over 330 days, month by month. Easy .

Delta until fairly recently only allowed +/- 1-3 day search however now it provides a five-week view (you still have to enter specific dates, but the site will propose alternate dates if you use the “calendar view”). American used to have a 30-day flexible date search but got rid of it. However…

Southwest.com

Southwest doesn’t list its fares on meta-search or OTA sites, but it does have an excellent flexible date search feature. As the case with other sites mentioned here, Southwest.com doesn’t scream this fact from its homepage. To find the “Shortcut” Low Fare Calendar takes some work, unless you know where it is. It's right here .

Choose a departure and arrival city and a departure and arrival month and you’re all set.

And if you have specific dates, Southwest now has a flexible destination fare map feature . Enter your departure airport and travel dates and you'll see a map of destinations and prices for those dates.

AllegiantAir.com

On this super-discounter simply click on the "view 30-day Calendar" buttons to see month-long views of fares.

FlyFrontier.com

On Frontier Airlines' website you enter specific dates but the site defaults to a 30-day calendar, which is super helpful.

Within Europe

If you're traveling within Europe, easyJet.com has a simple and effective flexible date tool. Just click on the “Flexible on dates” box to use it. Ryanair.com has one too, similar to the JetBlue model. Interestingly, the “Flexible dates” button is pre-checked, suggesting that Ryanair prefers that you be flexible to find its lowest fares. Their fare finder page is also great and has a map feature similar to Southwest's. AerLingus.com also defaults to flexible dates, searching over a two-week period for both departure and return. Britishairways.com automatically shows a seven-day flexible date range and provides previous week and next day arrows to further search.

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Ranking the most flexible US airlines to book for travelers cautiously planning 2021 trips as vaccines offer hope for a return to normal

• Airlines are offering unprecedented flexibility for travelers in a bid to get them back in the air. 
• Most major full-service and low-cost carriers are eliminating change and cancel fees. 
• Even ultra-low-cost carriers like Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines are doing away with some fees. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

There's never been a better time to be a shrewd consumer when it comes to booking flights.

The coronavirus pandemic has inflicted a devastating 2020 for the industry with consistently subpar flyer numbers lingering for nearly 10 months now and airlines are desperate to get flyers back in the air. Luckily, a perfect combination of cheap flights and flexible booking policies is putting consumers in the driver's seat when booking travel for 2021.

With multiple COVID-19 vaccines under emergency authorization, experts are predicting a return to normal by this time next year and perhaps by the end of summer, opening the door for travel once again. And even though there's no set date on when the pandemic will end, the good news is that airlines are giving consumers unprecedented levels of flexibility.

The big three US airlines including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, as well as Alaska Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Hawaiian Airlines, have eliminated change and cancel fees on domestic and many international flights, though with some caveats. Even the notoriously fickle ultra-low-cost carriers have amended their rules to allow flyers to make some changes free of charge.

But not are airlines are jumping on the trend, with varying degrees of flexibility across the industry. 

Here's a list of the best of the 11 major US airlines to book with for 2021 travel.  

Tied for first: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Alaska Airlines

American Airlines no longer charges change and cancel fees for any domestic flights, as well as short-haul international flights to the Caribbean, Canada, or Mexico. International change fees on trips that originate in North or South America to Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and the UK have also been eliminated. 

Basic economy tickets, however, are still bound to change fees for all flights. One exception is that all tickets booked before December 31, 2020, including basic economy fares, are exempt from change fees. 

Award tickets purchased using AAdvantage miles are subject to the same rules, including those that limit basic economy fares booked after December 31, 2020.  Using miles, points, or a travel credit can be an easy way to maximize flexibility. 

Delta Air Lines announced in December that change fees for all international flights on trips that originate in North America would be eliminated, an extension of a previous elimination of all domestic change fees. The rule doesn't apply to basic economy tickets or to trips that originate outside of North America, though Delta is waiving change fees for those tickets purchased through March 30, 2021.

Award tickets purchased using Delta Sky Miles on all North America-originating flights are also eligible for free changes and cancellations up to the time of departure. Basic economy award fares are exempted, however, and will still incur fees. 

Alaska Airlines similarly did away with change fees on all of its flights. That includes domestic and international itineraries as Alaska flies to cities in Latin America, however; basic economy tickets, known as "saver" fares, are not included.

Hawaiian Airlines has eliminated change fees for all flights, international and domestic, including flights purchased with HawaiianMiles. Main cabin basic tickets, the airline's version of basic economy, are not included but customers booking by December 31, 2020, in any cabin can take advantage of a travel waiver in place by the airline.

JetBlue Airways is the latest airline to do away with change and cancellation fees for its flights, regardless of destination, for tickets booked with cash or TrueBlue points. Basic economy fares, known as "blue basic," are excluded, however.

Related stories

Southwest Airlines eliminated change and cancel fees for all of its flights, international and domestic, long before the pandemic and remains one of the most flexible airlines to book with for that reason.

Second place: United Airlines 

United Airlines kicked off the trend of eliminating change fees for domestic flights, including Mexico and the Caribbean, and just recently expanded its policy to international flights on trips originating in the US. It doesn't apply to basic economy tickets, of course, and the rest of the Western Hemisphere is out of luck. 

Basic economy tickets and non-US originating tickets booked until March 31, 2021, however, will still be exempt from change fees as long as travel is rebooked to a date within 12 months from the ticket's original issue. 

While this seems identical to the policies offered by American and Delta, there are two important differentiators that knock United down a peg into second place. 

Award tickets booked on the airline still must be canceled more than 30 days in advance in order for the "award redeposit fee" to be waived, as it's a $125 fee otherwise. United will also not issue a credit when changing a flight if the new itinerary is less expensive while American and Delta will issue travel credits that can be used for future travel. 

United is still a great option in terms of flexibility but the airlines providing the most flexibility for international flights and award tickets are American, Delta, Alaska, and Southwest.

Third place: Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines has not eliminated change fees completely but has new flexible booking policies to give flyers more control of their travel travels. The first is a 2019-era policy that eliminated change and cancel fees for flights as long as the change or cancellation is made greater than 60 days ahead of the departure. 

Flights changed between 59 and seven days before departure will be subject to a $39 change or cancel fee and those changed within a week of departure will be charged $59. 

Some Frontier flights are so cheap, however, that buying a new ticket might be more cost-effective than paying the change or cancellation fee, in some cases. 

Frontier is also eliminating change fees for current flights as long as the travel is rebooked for a date through March 31, though the fare difference still applies.

Fourth place: Sun Country Airlines

Sun Country does not charge change fees when the change is made more than 60 days from departure, much like Frontier Airlines. Changes made between 59 and 14 days from departure will incur a $50 fee per segment while changes made within two weeks from departure will see a $100 fee per segment.

It's not the most flexible policy but it does give a greater modicum of flexibility into 2021 and is a permanent policy instead of a temporary fee waiver. 

Last place: Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines is waiving change and cancel fees for bookings made before March 31. Those looking to wait a bit to book late spring and summer travel may find more flexibility elsewhere. 

Last place: Allegiant Air

Allegiant is allowing customers to make a one-time travel change or cancelation to flights with no fee, according to its website . 

While a great gesture for travelers, especially coming from an ultra-low-cost carrier, the one-change policy does limit how many times a traveler can make a change and plans can change quite often during the pandemic.

Watch: Flight attendants explain how COVID-19 has affected their jobs

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There’s Just One Trick to Traveling Cheaply: Flexibility

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So you want to travel on a budget. Who doesn’t? Yet it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the cheap travel tips, hacks and strategies out there that promise unbelievable deals on airfare and hotels.

In reality, there’s only one important tactic for traveling cheaply: being flexible with your travel dates, destination and plans. It might sound simple — or even simplistic — but you would be surprised how few travelers are willing to take this piece of advice to heart.

To be fair, this flexibility-first mindset requires a paradigm shift for many in terms of how they start planning vacations. It requires moving from this type of planning:

“I want to go to Amsterdam from Sept. 5 through 13.”

“I want to go somewhere fun in September.”

For some, this degree of flexibility is simply impossible. Navigating travel planning between work, family and other constraints requires specific dates and plans. Yet for those who can loosen their preconceptions about how to plan travel, it can lead to big savings — and maybe even more fun.

This approach is useful whether you’re paying with cash or using miles , and even for all of the price ranges, from budget to luxury.

Why rigidity is so expensive

The cost of travel depends on the interplay between many factors, including:

Randomness.

Number of options.

When you make specific plans from the get-go, you essentially constrain the last variable — you give yourself fewer options. This means that the cost of your trip will depend entirely on the first three variables, which are completely outside of your control.

This economic interplay will sometimes fall in your favor, and you’ll score a good deal on the exact destination and dates you wanted. But more often than not, you’ll end up paying more than average simply by starting with a severely limited set of options.

How to plan travels with flexibility

You might be asking yourself, “How am I supposed to start planning travel if I have to keep everything up in the air?” While a fair question, it misses an essential component: You can still set some boundaries around your search.

Example parameters might include:

I want to travel in the fall.

I want to sit on the beach.

I don’t want to spend more than $X.

From here, you can begin weighing different destinations and dates to see which could maximize your preferences. For example, you might start with flights to Hawaii , but notice that airfare is through the roof. So you switch to the Caribbean , narrow your interest to a few destinations with cheap flights and then start researching hotel prices.

Finally, you can find the dates and destinations that offer the best combination of price and features, then book your travel.

This might sound remedial, but think about how many times you (or someone you know) have gone about it the other way — by starting with dates and a destination, then accepting whatever costs come up.

The right tools for the job

As this flexible travel approach gains in popularity, travel booking sites and services have begun offering helpful tools specifically designed for the task.

Airfare deal alerts

Airfare deal newsletters, like Scott’s Cheap Flights and Dollar Flight Club, are how many travelers start thinking in terms of flexibility. These newsletters and alert services send a blast to subscribers whenever they discover a low-cost airfare deal.

But there’s usually a catch: These airfare deals are available only on certain dates, or to very specific (sometimes random-feeling) destinations. You can’t sit around waiting for a great deal from Atlanta to Sydney, because that may not come around in time.

But you can wait for an exciting fare from Atlanta to … somewhere, and jump on it when it becomes available.

Google Flights Explore

Many travel search engines, like Kayak or Orbitz, have highly flexible search tools.

But Google Flights takes it a step further than the travel sites that let you search for flexible dates. It offers a feature that is specifically targeted to even more flexible travel. It’s called “Explore” and it allows you to search in a totally wide-open way.

To use the tool, enter your departure city, the length of trip you’re looking for and your price range, and Google returns a handful of great deals to a bunch of destinations at random times within your date range.

Compared with a deal alert service, the drawback is that the available deals displayed depend on when you conduct your search. You might just miss a great deal on Tuesday if you do your search on Monday, for example, but it’s a great way to consider many exciting options at once.

Points and miles

Travel bloggers love to rave about how they scored a first-class ticket to Japan using miles, but they don’t often describe their true secret: extreme flexibility.

Redeeming points and miles for reward travel all but requires a high degree of flexibility to get the most value from them. For one thing, the availability of these flights and rooms can be very spotty. Before you can even determine if an award booking is a good deal or not, you need to actually find an available award booking option.

For another, airlines often double the price or more during high-demand dates.

In short: If you’re looking to use miles on a specific flight on a specific day, you might either pay too much — or not be able to score a ticket at all.

That’s where flexibility comes in. To make things easier, many airlines offer award calendars that let you see which dates and prices are available by month, which can be especially helpful when rooting out hard-to-find premium cabin tickets.

Stretch yourself

If you’ve always wondered why other people can find great travel deals while you invariably pay out the nose, now you know why. Being flexible with your travel plans is the best way to knock down the cost of travel, period.

What’s more: It can be a lot of fun. Rather than planning exactly where you want to go and when, you can let the deals inform your next vacation. This openness can help you travel to places and have experiences that you never would have otherwise. It doesn’t mean you have to book travel last minute or scrap planning altogether. It just means letting go of two variables — the when and the where — and seeing what comes up.

If it doesn’t work out, you can always book travel the old-fashioned way.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee:   Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards:  Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card  

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

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Search with flexible travel dates

Next to Dates , you can select the See calendar of lowest fares  option to find the lowest fares available within a 30 day period.

• Enter a value of zero within the Duration (nights)  field for same-day travel. Enter a range with a dash if your plans are flexible, such as 7-9 for a trip of about a week.
• For weekend trips, enter 2-3.

After you search, you'll see a calendar showing the lowest price for trips beginning on the day you specified. Choose a departure day from the calendar to get a list of itinerary options.

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Compensatory Time Off for Travel - Questions & Answers to Fact Sheet

• Q1. What is compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Compensatory time off for travel is a separate form of compensatory time off that may be earned by an employee for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable.
• Q2. Are all employees covered by this provision? View more A. The compensatory time off provision applies to an "employee" as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5541(2) who is employed in an "Executive agency" as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105, without regard to whether the employee is exempt from or covered by the overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended. For example, this includes employees in senior-level (SL) and scientific or professional (ST) positions, but not members of the Senior Executive Service or Senior Foreign Service or Foreign Service officers. Effective April 27, 2008, prevailing rate (wage) employees are covered under the compensatory time off for travel provision. (See CPM 2008-04 .)
• Q3. Are intermittent employees eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel? View more A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may be used by an employee when the employee is granted time off from his or her scheduled tour of duty established for leave purposes. (See 5 CFR 550.1406(b).) Also see the definition of "scheduled tour of duty for leave purposes" in 5 CFR 550.1403. Employees who are on intermittent work schedules are not eligible to earn and use compensatory time off for travel because they do not have a scheduled tour of duty for leave purposes.
• Q4. What qualifies as travel for the purpose of this provision? View more A. To qualify for this purpose, travel must be officially authorized. In other words, travel must be for work purposes and must be approved by an authorized agency official or otherwise authorized under established agency policies. (Also see Q5.)
• Q5. May an employee earn compensatory time off when he or she travels in conjunction with the performance of union representational duties? View more A. No. The term "travel" is defined at 5 CFR 550.1403 to mean officially authorized travel—i.e., travel for work purposes approved by an authorized agency official or otherwise authorized under established agency policies. The definition specifically excludes time spent traveling in connection with union activities. The term "travel for work purposes" is intended to mean travel for agency-related work purposes. Thus, employees who travel in connection with union activities are not entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel because they are traveling for the benefit of the union, and not for agency-related work purposes.
• Q6. An employee receives compensatory time off for travel only for those hours spent in a travel status. What qualifies as time in a travel status? View more A. Travel status includes only the time actually spent traveling between the official duty station and a temporary duty station, or between two temporary duty stations, and the usual waiting time that precedes or interrupts such travel.
• Q7. Is travel in connection with a permanent change of station (PCS) creditable for compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Although PCS travel is officially authorized travel, it is not travel between an official duty station and a temporary duty station or between two temporary duty stations. Therefore, it is not considered time in a travel status for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel.
• Q8. What is meant by "usual waiting time"? View more A. Airline travelers generally are required to arrive at the airport at a designated pre-departure time (e.g., 1 or 2 hours before the scheduled departure, depending on whether the flight is domestic or international). Such waiting time at the airport is considered usual waiting time and is creditable time in a travel status. In addition, time spent at an intervening airport waiting for a connecting flight (e.g., 1 or 2 hours) also is creditable time in a travel status. In all cases, determinations regarding what is creditable as "usual waiting time" are within the sole and exclusive discretion of the employing agency.
• Q9. What if an employee experiences an "extended" waiting period? View more A. If an employee experiences an unusually long wait prior to his or her initial departure or between actual periods of travel during which the employee is free to rest, sleep, or otherwise use the time for his or her own purposes, the extended waiting time outside the employee's regular working hours is not creditable time in a travel status. An extended waiting period that occurs during an employee's regular working hours is compensable as part of the employee's regularly scheduled administrative workweek.
• Q10. Do meal periods count as time in a travel status? View more A. Meal periods during actual travel time or waiting time are not specifically excluded from creditable time in a travel status for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel. However, determinations regarding what is creditable as "usual waiting time" are within the sole and exclusive discretion of the employing agency.
• Q11. What happens once an employee reaches a temporary duty station? View more A. Time spent at a temporary duty station between arrival and departure is not creditable travel time for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel. Time in a travel status ends when the employee arrives at the temporary duty worksite or his or her lodging in the temporary duty station, wherever the employee arrives first. Time in a travel status resumes when an employee departs from the temporary duty worksite or his or her lodging in the temporary duty station, wherever the employee departs last.
• Q12. When is it appropriate for an agency to offset creditable time in a travel status by the amount of time the employee spends in normal commuting between home and work? View more A. If an employee travels directly between his or her home and a temporary duty station outside the limits of the employee's official duty station (e.g., driving to and from a 3-day conference), the agency must deduct the employee's normal home-to-work/work-to-home commuting time from the creditable travel time. The agency must also deduct an employee's normal commuting time from the creditable travel time if the employee is required—outside of regular working hours—to travel between home and a transportation terminal (e.g., an airport or train station) outside the limits of the employee's official duty station.
• Q13. What if an employee travels to a transportation terminal within the limits of his or her official duty station? View more A. An employee's time spent traveling outside of regular working hours to or from a transportation terminal within the limits of his or her official duty station is considered equivalent to commuting time and is not creditable time in a travel status for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel.
• Q14. What if an employee travels from a worksite to a transportation terminal? View more A. If an employee travels between a worksite and a transportation terminal, the travel time outside regular working hours is creditable as time in a travel status, and no commuting time offset applies. For example, after completing his or her workday, an employee may travel directly from the regular worksite to an airport to attend an out-of-town meeting the following morning. The travel time between the regular worksite and the airport is creditable as time in a travel status.
• Q15. What if an employee elects to travel at a time other than the time selected by the agency? View more A. When an employee travels at a time other than the time selected by the agency, the agency must determine the estimated amount of time in a travel status the employee would have had if the employee had traveled at the time selected by the agency. The agency must credit the employee with the lesser of (1) the estimated time in a travel status the employee would have had if the employee had traveled at the time selected by the agency, or (2) the employee's actual time in a travel status at a time other than that selected by the agency.
• Q16. How is an employee's travel time calculated for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel when the travel involves two or more time zones? View more A. When an employee's travel involves two or more time zones, the time zone from point of first departure must be used to determine how many hours the employee actually spent in a travel status for the purpose of accruing compensatory time off for travel. For example, if an employee travels from his official duty station in Washington, DC, to a temporary duty station in San Francisco, CA, the Washington, DC, time zone must be used to determine how many hours the employee spent in a travel status. However, on the return trip to Washington, DC, the time zone from San Francisco, CA, must be used to calculate how many hours the employee spent in a travel status.
• Q17. How is compensatory time off for travel earned and credited? View more A. Compensatory time off for travel is earned for qualifying time in a travel status. Agencies may authorize credit in increments of one-tenth of an hour (6 minutes) or one-quarter of an hour (15 minutes). Agencies must track and manage compensatory time off for travel separately from other forms of compensatory time off.
• Q18. Is there a limitation on the amount of compensatory time off for travel an employee may earn? View more A. No.
• Q19. How does an employee request credit for compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Agencies may establish procedures for requesting credit for compensatory time off for travel. An employee must comply with his or her agency's procedures for requesting credit of compensatory time off, and the employee must file a request for such credit within the time period established by the agency. An employee's request for credit of compensatory time off for travel may be denied if the request is not filed within the time period required by the agency.
• Q20. Is there a form employees must fill out for requests to earn or use compensatory time off for travel? View more A. There is not a Governmentwide form used for requests to earn or use compensatory time off for travel. However, an agency may choose to develop a form as part of its internal policies and procedures.
• Q21. How does an employee use accrued compensatory time off for travel? View more A. An employee must request permission from his or her supervisor to schedule the use of his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel in accordance with agency policies and procedures. Compensatory time off for travel may be used when the employee is granted time off from his or her scheduled tour of duty established for leave purposes. Employees must use accrued compensatory time off for travel in increments of one-tenth of an hour (6 minutes) or one-quarter of an hour (15 minutes).
• Q22. In what order should agencies charge compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Agencies must charge compensatory time off for travel in the chronological order in which it was earned, with compensatory time off for travel earned first being charged first.
• Q23. How long does an employee have to use accrued compensatory time off for travel? View more A. An employee must use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned or the employee must forfeit such compensatory time off, except in certain circumstances. (See Q24 and Q25 for exceptions.)
• Q24. What if an employee is unable to use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel because of uniformed service or an on-the-job injury with entitlement to injury compensation? View more A. Unused compensatory time off for travel will be held in abeyance for an employee who separates, or is placed in a leave without pay status, and later returns following (1) separation or leave without pay to perform service in the uniformed services (as defined in 38 U.S.C. 4303 and 5 CFR 353.102) and a return to service through the exercise of a reemployment right or (2) separation or leave without pay due to an on-the-job injury with entitlement to injury compensation under 5 U.S.C. chapter 81. The employee must use all of the compensatory time off for travel held in abeyance by the end of the 26th pay period following the pay period in which the employee returns to duty, or such compensatory time off for travel will be forfeited.
• Q25. What if an employee is unable to use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel because of an exigency of the service beyond the employee's control? View more A. If an employee fails to use his or her accrued compensatory time off for travel before the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned due to an exigency of the service beyond the employee's control, the head of an agency, at his or her sole and exclusive discretion, may extend the time limit for up to an additional 26 pay periods.
• Q26. May unused compensatory time off for travel be restored if an employee does not use it by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned? View more A. Except in certain circumstances (see Q24 and Q25), any compensatory time off for travel not used by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned must be forfeited.
• Q27. What happens to an employee's unused compensatory time off for travel upon separation from Federal service? View more A. Except in certain circumstances (see Q24), an employee must forfeit all unused compensatory time off for travel upon separation from Federal service.
• Q28. May an employee receive a lump-sum payment for accrued compensatory time off for travel upon separation from an agency? View more A. No. The law prohibits payment for unused compensatory time off for travel under any circumstances.
• Q29. What happens to an employee's accrued compensatory time off for travel upon transfer to another agency? View more A. When an employee voluntarily transfers to another agency (including a promotion or change to lower grade action), the employee must forfeit all of his or her unused compensatory time off for travel.
• Q30. What happens to an employee's accrued compensatory time off for travel when the employee moves to a position that is not covered by the regulations in 5 CFR part 550, subpart N? View more A. When an employee moves to a position in an agency not covered by the compensatory time off for travel provisions (e.g., the United States Postal Service), the employee must forfeit all of his or her unused compensatory time off for travel. However, the gaining agency may use its own legal authority to give the employee credit for such compensatory time off.
• Q31. Is compensatory time off for travel considered in applying the premium pay and aggregate pay caps? View more A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may not be considered in applying the biweekly or annual premium pay limitations established under 5 U.S.C. 5547 or the aggregate limitation on pay established under 5 U.S.C. 5307.
• Q32. When are criminal investigators who receive availability pay precluded from earning compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Compensatory time off for travel is earned only for hours not otherwise compensable. The term "compensable" is defined at 5 CFR 550.1403 to include any hours of a type creditable under other compensation provisions, even if there are compensation caps limiting the payment of premium pay for those hours (e.g., the 25 percent cap on availability pay and the biweekly premium pay cap). For availability pay recipients, this means hours of travel are not creditable as time in a travel status for compensatory time off purposes if the hours are (1) compensated by basic pay, (2) regularly scheduled overtime hours creditable under 5 U.S.C. 5542, or (3) "unscheduled duty hours" as described in 5 CFR 550.182(a), (c), and (d).
• Q33. What constitutes "unscheduled duty hours" as described in 5 CFR 550.182(a), (c), and (d)? View more A. Under the availability pay regulations, unscheduled duty hours include (1) all irregular overtime hours—i.e., overtime work not scheduled in advance of the employee's administrative workweek, (2) the first 2 overtime hours on any day containing part of the employee's basic 40-hour workweek, without regard to whether the hours are unscheduled or regularly scheduled, and (3) any approved nonwork availability hours. However, special agents in the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State may count only hours actually worked as unscheduled duty hours.
• Q34. Why are criminal investigators who receive availability pay precluded from earning compensatory time off when they travel during unscheduled duty hours? View more A. The purpose of availability pay is to ensure the availability of criminal investigators (and certain similar law enforcement employees) for unscheduled duty in excess of a 40-hour workweek based on the needs of the employing agency. Availability pay compensates an employee for all unscheduled duty hours. Compensatory time off for travel is earned only for hours not otherwise compensable. Thus, availability pay recipients may not earn compensatory time off for travel during unscheduled duty hours because the employees are entitled to availability pay for those hours.

A. When an employee who receives availability pay is required to travel on a non-workday or on a regular workday (during hours that exceed the employee's basic 8-hour workday), and the travel does not meet one of the four criteria in 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(B) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2), the travel time is not compensable as overtime hours of work under regular overtime or availability pay. Thus, the employee may earn compensatory time off for such travel, subject to the exclusion specified in 5 CFR 550.1404(b)(2) and the requirements in 5 CFR 550.1404(c),(d), and (e).

Under the provisions in 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(B) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2), travel time is compensable as overtime hours of work if the travel is away from the employee's official duty station and—

(i) involves the performance of work while traveling, (ii) is incident to travel that involves the performance of work while traveling, (iii) is carried out under arduous conditions, or (iv) results from an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively.

The phrase "an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively" refers to the ability of an agency in the Executive Branch of the United States Government to control the scheduling of an event which necessitates an employee's travel. If the employing agency or another Executive Branch agency has any control over the scheduling of the event, including by means of approval of a contract for it, then the event is administratively controllable, and the travel to and from the event cannot be credited as overtime hours of work.

For example, an interagency conference sponsored by the Department of Justice would be considered a joint endeavor of the participating Executive Branch agencies and within their administrative control. Under these circumstances, the travel time outside an employee's regular working hours is not compensable as overtime hours of work under regular overtime or availability pay. Therefore, the employee may earn compensatory time off for such travel, subject to the exclusion specified in 5 CFR 550.1404(b)(2) and the requirements in 5 CFR 550.1404(c), (d), and (e).

• Q36. If an employee is required to travel on a Federal holiday (or an "in lieu of" holiday), is the employee entitled to receive compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Although most employees do not receive holiday premium pay for time spent traveling on a holiday (or an "in lieu of" holiday), an employee continues to be entitled to pay for the holiday in the same manner as if the travel were not required. Thus, an employee may not earn compensatory time off for travel during basic (non-overtime) holiday hours because the employee is entitled to his or her rate of basic pay for those hours. Compensatory time off for travel may be earned by an employee only for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable.
• Q37. If an employee's regularly scheduled tour of duty is Sunday through Thursday and the employee is required to travel on a Sunday during regular working hours, is the employee entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel? View more A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may be earned by an employee only for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable. Thus, an employee may not earn compensatory time off for travel for traveling on a workday during regular working hours because the employee is receiving his or her rate of basic pay for those hours.
• Q38. May an agency change an employee's work schedule for travel purposes? View more A. An agency may not adjust the regularly scheduled administrative workweek that normally applies to an employee (part-time or full-time) solely for the purpose of including planned travel time not otherwise considered compensable hours of work. However, an employee is entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel for time spent in a travel status when such time is not otherwise compensable.
• Q39. Is time spent traveling creditable as credit hours for an employee who is authorized to earn credit hours under an alternative work schedule? View more A. Credit hours are hours an employee elects to work, with supervisory approval, in excess of the employee's basic work requirement under a flexible work schedule. Under certain conditions, an agency may permit an employee to earn credit hours by performing productive and essential work while in a travel status. See OPM's fact sheet on credit hours  for the conditions that must be met. If those conditions are met and the employee does earn credit hours for travel, the time spent traveling would be compensable and the employee would not be eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel. If the conditions are not met, the employee would be eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel.
• Q40. May an agency restore an employee's forfeited "use-or-lose" annual leave because the employee elected to use earned compensatory time off for travel instead of using his or her excess annual leave? View more A. Section 6304(d) of title 5, United States Code, prescribes the conditions under which an employee's forfeited annual leave may be restored to an employee. (See fact sheet on restoration of annual leave .) There is no legal authority to restore an employee's forfeited annual leave because the employee elected to use earned compensatory time off for travel instead of using his or her excess annual leave.

A. No. Compensatory time off for travel may be earned by an employee only for time spent in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable. The term "compensable" is defined at 5 CFR 550.1403 to make clear what periods of time are "not otherwise compensable" and thus potentially creditable for the purpose of earning compensatory time off for travel. Time is considered compensable if the time is creditable as hours of work for the purpose of determining a specific pay entitlement (e.g., overtime pay for travel meeting one of the four criteria in 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2)) even when the time may not actually generate additional compensation because of applicable pay limitations (e.g., biweekly premium pay cap). The capped premium pay is considered complete compensation for all hours of work creditable under the premium pay provisions.

In other words, even though an employee may not receive overtime pay for all of his or her travel hours because of the biweekly premium pay cap, all of the travel time is still considered to be compensable under 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2). Under these circumstances, the employee has been compensated fully under the law for all of the travel hours and the employee may not earn compensatory time off for any portion of such travel not generating additional compensation because of the biweekly cap on premium pay.

• Q42. May an employee who receives administratively uncontrollable overtime (AUO) pay under 5 U.S.C. 5545(c)(2) earn compensatory time off for travel? View more A. If such employee's travel time is not compensable under 5 CFR 550.112(g) or 5 CFR 551.422, as applicable, and meets the requirements in 5 CFR part 550, subpart N, the employee is eligible to earn compensatory time off for travel for time spent in a travel status.
• Q43. If a part-time employee's regularly scheduled tour of duty is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the employee is required to travel on a Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., is the employee entitled to earn compensatory time off for travel for those 2 hours? View more A. It depends. If the travel qualifies as compensable hours of work under 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(B) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(2)—i.e., the travel involves or is incident to the performance of actual work, is carried out under arduous and unusual conditions, or results from an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively—the employee may not be credited with compensatory time off for travel hours. (Such travel time outside a part-time employee's scheduled tour of duty, but not in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, would be non-overtime hours of work compensated at the employee's rate of basic pay.) If the travel time does not qualify as compensable hours of work and meets the other requirements in 5 CFR part 550, subpart N, the part-time employee would be entitled to earn compensatory time off for those 2 hours. We note travel time is always compensable hours of work if it falls within an employee's regularly scheduled administrative workweek. (See 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2)(A) and 5 CFR 550.112(g)(1).) For a part-time employee, the regularly scheduled administrative workweek is defined in 5 CFR 550.103 as the officially prescribed days and hours within an administrative workweek during which the employee was scheduled to work in advance of the workweek. An agency may not adjust the regularly scheduled administrative workweek normally applied to an employee (part-time or full-time) solely for the purpose of including planned travel time otherwise not considered compensable hours of work.
• Q44. Does an upgrade in travel accommodations impact an employee's entitlement to compensatory time off for travel? View more A. Allowing an employee to upgrade his or her travel accommodations (e.g., to business class) does not eliminate his or her eligibility to earn compensatory time off for travel.

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Handy Reference Guide to the Fair Labor Standards Act - Answers many questions about the FLSA and gives information about certain occupations that are exempt from the Act.

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Eurostar tickets are more flexible than ever: here's how the new rules affect your next European escape

By Connor Sturges

Train or plane? Sustainable travel practices are more important than ever, but each option has its own unique set of pros and cons – while train travel is better for the planet, it's often far more expensive than flying, for example.

Now, Eurostar ’s latest news has tipped the balance in train travel’s favour, as the company announces one of Europe 's most flexible international travel experiences. Until recently only passengers in premium cabins had the ultimate freedom to alter travel plans according to busy and demanding schedules. Now, this is changing following the announcement of flexible fares as standard across all travel.

From November 2024, Eurostar's travel classes will be renamed to Eurostar Standard, Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier. Each class still mirrors the current set-up. Eurostar Standard is the most economical way to travel, with drinks and light bites available to purchase from the café on board.

Eurostar Plus passengers enjoy more comfortable seating, more workspace, and a meal, while the greatest benefits of travelling in Eurostar Premier include elevated food service, access to lounges, and the use of a dedicated priority lane on cross-channel routes. Generous baggage allowances, free seat bookings, and free Wi-Fi apply to all travel classes.

Eurostar Standard and Eurostar Plus passengers can exchange tickets without a fee as many times as required until just one hour before departure. Unused tickets can be refunded up to seven days before departure. Customers in Eurostar Premier can exchange in the same way, and fee-free refunds are available up to two days after the scheduled departure.

The new rules apply to tickets booked after Tuesday 23 April 2024; bookings made before this date are subject to the terms and conditions stated at the time of booking.

Sales for the unified travel classes are open now and apply to journeys after Monday 4 November 2024.

In a statement, Matthieu Quyollet, Chief Business Development & Integration Officer, said, “Eurostar is setting new standards for international travel by providing the greatest flexibility, clarity and comfort to customers looking to enjoy Europe in the most sustainable way. The new aftersales policy across all of Eurostar’s travel classes means that all customers can now take advantage of more flexibility and choice than ever before and enjoy a unique travel experience for their summer holiday or autumn break.”

This isn’t the only change for Eurostar in recent months. A new-look website and app launched in autumn 2023 alongside Club Eurostar, a rewards programme that allows points to be used to discount journeys, upgrade seats and more.

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Low Fare Tips

Seven tips for finding the LFP (lowest fare possible)

It pays to plan ahead. The closer you are to your traveling day the more you pay. Why? Because a while back some smart guys and gals at an airline figured out that business travelers tend to schedule meetings at the last minute and have the least flexibility. So while the airlines stick it to the business folk, a well-organized vacationer can take advantage. To find the best fares for you, search for your trip on KAYAK and complete your booking 21 days or more in advance; for next best try for 14 or more. You still here? What are you waiting for?

SMTWTFS? The flexibility to travel on another day can result in dramatically lower fares. So next time you search on KAYAK, select the flexible dates option. You'll probably find that flying Saturday is cheaper (though not so much for international). Likewise, traveling mid-week (Tuesday or Wednesday) is usually cheaper than Monday or Thursday/Friday: consultants love to travel on Monday mornings and fly back Thursday (of course, they still bill you for Friday but that's another story).

All of life is timing. The key to getting the lowest fare is to fly when others are not. The "dead times" will vary by route (early morning and late night are good for leisure routes, mid-day is usually best for business routes). Select the "Anytime" option and use our filtering tools to focus your way to a cheaper fare.

Avoid peak travel seasons. See a theme here? Don't travel when everyone else is. Go to Disneyland or Las Vegas after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. Not only will the flights be cheaper but the lines shorter, too. Or fly on Christmas day when everyone is there already (and the flight attendants are extra nice).

Thank you for choosing. When low cost carriers like JetBlue or Easyjet simplified their pricing structure to offer lower prices more often, it wasn't long before everyone was doing it. But not every airline's price structure works in the same way. That's why we compare so many airlines across hundreds of travel sites to get you the best price. You could say we have a flair for finding the cheapest fare (but maybe not for poetry).

Location, location, location. Speaking of low cost carriers, many of them fly into alternative airports (like Burbank or Long Beach instead of LAX or Stansted instead of London Heathrow) and what they save in airport fees they pass onto you. You may also appreciate the added benefit of less traffic, cheaper rental cars and fewer people at the airport bars, too. Whenever you search with KAYAK, we can automatically show you rates from nearby airports.

Easily the most important... search KAYAK before you book.

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Children under 14 years of age are not permitted to travel without being accompanied throughout the journey by a responsible person aged 16 years or over. Children aged 14 - 15 years old may travel unaccompanied, as from 5am, arriving at their booked destination no later than 10pm. Unaccompanied children will be asked for proof of age or a signed letter of permission from their parent/guardian. (sms or chat based messages are not permissible)

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We know your travel plans can have ways of changing when you least expect it. That’s why we offer three ticket types so you can have the flexibility that meets your travel needs.

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Our most comprehensive option. Enjoy fee-free amendments and full refunds up to 24 hours before your original outward journey.

Excess fees may apply.*

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Change your booking any time before departure for just a £5 online amendment fee.

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Our cheapest ticket type.

Please note that these fares are non-amendable and non-refundable.

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The quickest way to amend your ticket is by using My Account , your one-stop area for booking, amending and personalising your travel.

For further information on amending tickets, please visit our refunds & amendments page . 

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Claims for refunds can also be made through My Account  with your ticket cancelled no later than 24 hours before your original outward journey.

For more information on our process of refunding tickets, as well as certain add-ons, please visit our refunds & amendments page .

Please note: you are only able to receive a refund with Fully Flexible fares. 

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Need to travel but unsure of your timings? Our Change & Go Add On lets you be completely flexible with which coach you board to and from your desired destination on Standard and Fully Flexible tickets.

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Your Open Dated Return is valid for 3 months from your outbound journey. To guarantee your seat on your return you need to confirm your ticket before you travel on www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/tickets/open-returns or call 0371 781 8181.

Open Dated Return Information

If your return date is not yet known, open return tickets provide flexibility. When travelling within the UK, the return journey can be made within 3 months of the outward date of travel. To guarantee your seat on your return journey you need to confirm your ticket before you travel by visiting www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/tickets/open-returns or call us on 03717 81 81 81. Lines open 7 days a week, 8am - 8pm (calls to this number are charged at local rate). Valid on any day throughout the year.

Open returns are not available on European journeys.

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To see a list of accessible coach routes please visit our Accessibility page.

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If you are travelling in a wheelchair or require assistance, please call our helpline before booking and at least 36 hours in advance of when you would like to travel.

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For more information please visit our Disabled travellers page.

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Children under 14 cannot travel alone unless accompanied by an adult (16+). Please note, you may be required to show proof of age at any point during your journey. Failure to do so, may result in the full adult fare being charged.

Children (3-15)

Children under 14 cannot travel alone unless accompanied by a responsible adult (16+).

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Should be booked as Children. If they are travelling in a wheelchair or require assistance, please call our Assisted Travel Helpline.

We strongly recommend that you bring a car seat appropriate to your child's age, but ask you to take responsibility to fit the seat.

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Children aged between approximately 4-11 years old, or up to 150cm tall, may use booster seats. We carry a limited number onboard most coaches.

If travelling with a child, you may be required to show proof of age when buying tickets or at any point during your journey. Failure to do so may result in the child being required to pay the full fare for the journey on that day.

Booster seats

Children aged between approximately 4 years and 11 years or up to 150cm tall may use booster seats, we carry a limited number onboard most coaches along with our comfort fit seat belts.

Disabled children should be booked as children rather than 'Disabled'. If they are travelling in a wheelchair or you wish to book assistance with travel please call our Assisted Travel Helpline before booking and at least 36 hours in advance of when you would like to travel.

You can find a list of accessible coach stops on our Accessibility page .

Please call us 36 hours prior to travelling to check the latest status.

If you are travelling in a wheelchair or require assistance we recommend that you contact us on the following local rate telephone number: 03717 81 81 81 (lines open 8am - 8pm 7 days a week) 36 hours in advance of when you would like to travel.

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Adult fares are applicable to all passengers aged between of 26 and 59 inclusive.

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Children aged 12 or under travelling on any European service must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

Unaccompanied children will not be carried

Young persons (13 - 25)

Children under the age of 16 are not permitted to travel on any European service unless accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

Young persons aged 16 or 17 years can travel alone on European services but only if they have a letter of authority from a parent or guardian.

Senior (60 and over)

Passengers aged 60 and over are entitled to receive a small discount on European journeys. On European journeys a 50% discount is given to carers, please call us on 08717 818177 to book.

Please select your passenger type first and then add your coachcards.

We have three different Coachcards available, each offering savings of 1/3 on all of our Standard and Fully Flexible coach fares all year round.

Prices shown include your coachcard discount, your coachcard number will be required during the booking process.

Adult fares are applicable to all passengers aged 2+. Adults under the age of 16 are not permitted to travel alone on any European service unless accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over or they have a letter of authority from a parent or guardian.

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Children aged under the age of 2, must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over. Unaccompanied children will not be carried.

How to Travel with a Full Time Job

L ooking for tips on how to travel with a full time job? You’ve come to the right place. A big reason for my pivoting to become a travel blogger was to share how I travel while working full time. Since catching the travel itch in 2012, I have taken a combination of 4-5 or more domestic and international trips a year without spending much money or quitting my day job. While scrolling through Facebook, a friend of mine posted this as his status:

Maybe I’m hating, but I’m seeing a lot of people take 4 and 5 vacations a year. When do you guys get time to work?

After informing him that he was indeed hating, I decided to share these easy tips on traveling with a full-time job and maximizing your vacation time. Taking multiple trips while maintaining a full-time job might seem impossible, but it’s possible and rewarding with the right strategies. In this guide, I’ll share my best tips on how to travel with a full-time job without breaking the bank or jeopardizing your career.

Make the Decision to Travel More

This is sometimes easier said than done, but if you want to start traveling while working full-time, you have to decide that this is something you want to do. The bottom line is if you keep making excuses, it won’t get done. Plan out the bucket list of destinations you want to visit, create a travel bank account, and start saving money .

Use Your Vacation Days Wisely

I create a strategic plan to maximize my vacation days when researching ways to travel with a full-time job. I look at the number of vacation days I receive for the year and plan my trips around the work calendar. Working as a contractor in FinTech, I didn’t get a paid vacation, so I worked ALL THE TIME. Most companies provide at least ten to eleven annual leave days (or two weeks) a year for new employees to start, with an increase after five years of employment.

If you work at a company that doesn’t let you roll over vacation days, MAKE SURE TO USE THEM! When looking for a new job, I researched companies that provided good benefits that mattered to me, including enough time off for frequent travel. Fortunately, I have found a company that provides plenty of time for vacation leave upon hire and encourages us to use our days.

Travel During Public Holidays

As I learned how to balance traveling while working full-time, I took domestic and international trips during holiday weekends. Vacation days normally don’t include personal days or the 7-10 or more national holidays. If the holiday falls on a Monday, you can travel during the bank holiday weekend, making it a Friday-Monday or Saturday-Tuesday trip.

I have the advantage of living in New York City and being close to the airport, so direct flights to the Southern US and the Caribbean sometimes take 2-5 hours. Plan your vacations before or after the blackout days if you work in a field that blocks off specific times of the year, like back to school, inventory, tax season, or the holidays.

Take Day or Weekend Breaks

One of the easiest ways to travel with a full time job is to take a day trip or multiple short trips on the weekend. A road trip to the next city or town within your state counts as travel, and you can have as much fun as you would if you were halfway around the world.

For a short weekend trip, I usually book a flight or drive off on a Friday night and return home on Sunday night or Monday morning. I try my best to leave early on Saturday or Sunday for day trips and give myself as much time to explore. Whether flying or driving, I have a maximum 3-hour travel time to enjoy most of my time at the destination.

Schedule an Evening or Red-Eye Flight

I don’t do this often and don’t suggest doing so if you can’t fall asleep on the plane, but booking an evening flight or red-eye allows you to work the whole day and sleep on the plane. If I book a red-eye flight, depending on the destination, I usually land in the morning or afternoon so I am ready to venture out or take a nap after a post-flight shower .

Travel on Extended Weekends

Unless your job specifically says so, you do NOT have to use all your vacation days in the same week. Take off for a couple of days in the week or create a 3-4 day long weekend by taking off on a Friday and/or Monday. Some of my favorite domestic trips, like to Miami and New Orleans , have been during extended weekends, using one or two vacation days at a time.

You can also combine extended weekends with bank holidays like I did for international trips to Tobago , Cuba, and Aruba . If I visit a new city, I use Trip Advisor to see what activities can be done during my stay to maximize my time.

Work Remotely

I can work from home as long as there is a reliable internet connection and I notify management in advance. I took advantage of remote work for the first time during the holiday season in the first year at my current job. My family planned a last-minute trip to Ocean City, MD, and my vacation was denied due to my coworker being a senior employee.

Luckily, my manager informed me of the department’s optional work-from-home schedule during Christmas and New Year’s week. We didn’t stay in Maryland for the full week, but I was able to work and enjoy time with my family for the holidays. Not every employer offers the option to work from home, but it is a plus during family emergencies, cold days, snowstorms, or if I find a great flight deal and have limited vacation days.

Travel for Work

A great way to travel with a full-time job is to get a job that includes travel and go on a business trip. Many jobs outside the air and transportation industries have employees traveling on domestic and international work trips, whether for a work conference or recruitment. A benefit of business trips is that the company pays for expenses. You may even be able to squeeze in extra days for vacation time while there to extend your trip.

If you get a job with business travel, ensure you’re always on your A-Game. You don’t want to get fired for silly things like missing an important meeting or deadline because you decided to enjoy the nightlife or sleep in.

Be Flexible

Typically I travel at least once a season. Some shorter trips are spontaneous, while a big trip to Southeast Asia or a week-long trip to a different country is planned well in advance. When I finally pick my destinations, I check prices on flights and hotels at least 2-3 months prior.

Since I usually travel solo , it is easier than figuring out someone else’s travel schedule. If I find a glitch fare or awesome deal online. I send a quick text or social media post with my travel buddy or best friend and book the trip. You have 24 hours to cancel the flight if you change your mind.

Take Advantage of Good Deals

Another way to travel with a full-time job is to take advantage of flight deals . Airfare can be expensive, so finding a glitch fare gives the ability to save money for future trips. Subscribing to The Flight Deal , Airfare Watch Dog , and other travel-related sites on social media has led me to receive great deals on available flights from NYC to cities in the US and foreign countries.

Traveling while working full-time is a skill that can be perfected the more you do it. You can travel frequently without sacrificing your professional life by strategically planning vacations, embracing flexibility, and leveraging travel-friendly career opportunities.

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Do you have tips on how to travel with a full time job? Share them below.

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