How to score cheap flights to Asia
The secret is to book 3 to 5 months in advance and use a 'hub-and-spoke' strategy by flying into major airline hubs like Tokyo, Singapore, or Bangkok first. From there, use budget regional carriers to reach your final destination.
- Use aggregate search tools correctly. Set your departure airport and use 'Asia' as the destination in Google Flights or Skyscanner. Use the map view to see which cities have the lowest entry prices on your preferred dates.
- Leverage the 'Hidden Hub' strategy. Don't search for a flight directly to a secondary city like Chiang Mai or Da Nang. Instead, look for a flight to a major hub like Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City. Book the long-haul leg on a major carrier, then book a separate, cheap ticket on a local budget airline (like AirAsia or VietJet) for the final leg.
- Set price alerts for the 120-day mark. Flight prices to Asia usually bottom out 3 to 5 months before departure. Set a Google Flights price tracker as soon as you have your dates to get an email notification when the price drops below the historical average.
- Check budget carrier baggage rules. Regional Asian carriers are extremely cheap but charge heavily for checked bags. If you are flying to a hub and connecting, factor in the cost of carry-on and checked luggage fees for your regional flights, as they often aren't included in the 'sale' price.
- Is it cheaper to book a round trip or two one-way tickets?
- Usually, round-trip long-haul tickets are cheaper. However, if you are traveling to multiple countries, booking an 'open-jaw' flight (flying into one city and out of another) is often better than two one-ways.
- What is the cheapest day to fly to Asia?
- Tuesday and Wednesday are consistently the cheapest days to depart. Avoid weekend departures if possible.