People often ask how they can travel more like we do. The truth is, it comes down to two things. First, learning how to find cheap flights so getting to new places stays affordable. Second, understanding how travel works, from the airlines and routes to the timing and opportunities most people never notice.
This beginner’s guide is all about the first steps: how being actively engaged and paying attention can get you out the door more often than you thought possible. It’s not about miles and points yet. It’s about learning the ropes, spotting opportunities, and getting comfortable making travel decisions with confidence
Finding Cheap Flights
If you want to travel more, this is where you start. Finding cheap flights is the single best way to make travel feel possible. It was the first step for us, and the gateway skill that got everything else rolling. Our first big win was a flight to Europe out of LAX for $275. That one deal completely changed how we thought about travel and showed us that amazing trips don’t have to cost a fortune.
The biggest secret is that you do not have to figure everything out on your own. There are email lists and deal alerts that do the work for you. They track airlines, routes, and flash sales so you can focus on being ready to act when a deal pops up. Flexibility helps too—being open to different dates, destinations, and airports gives you the best chance of snagging something incredible.
Some of our favorite resources are Going, Pomelo, The Points Guy, FareDrop, and Thrifty Traveler. These alerts have sent us deals like Salt Lake to Finland for $280, Mexico City for $250, and even Hawaii for $270. These deals disappear quickly, but if you’re paying attention and ready to act, you can grab them too.
Cheap flights get you moving. They get you out the door and into new places, and they build the confidence and excitement that make the next step, learning how the travel world works, feel possible.
Want to go deeper? Check out our post on How We Find Cheap Flights for a full breakdown.
Understanding Travel
Once you’ve started booking cheap flights, the next step is learning how travel really works. This is where most people get stuck, but it’s also where the biggest opportunities are. Airlines, routes, timing, promos, stopovers, and even where you buy your ticket can all affect how much you pay and how far you can go.
For us, this stage started with curiosity. We noticed deals like Icelandair stopovers that let us see a new country on the way to Europe. We’ve experimented with Frontier tickets at the airport, taken advantage of flash sales, and snagged promos like a Southwest BOGO sale to Hawaii. We’ve even jumped on Avelo tickets to California for $19. Each of these trips taught us something new about how airlines price flights and what opportunities exist if you’re paying attention.
The key is curiosity, flexibility, and active engagement. Here are some practical ways to get better at understanding travel:
- Subscribe to deal alerts and newsletters – Sites like The Points Guy, One Mile at a Time, View From The Wing, and personal travel blogs (like ours) are full of strategies, examples, and trip reports. Reading regularly helps you see patterns in deals, pricing, and airline quirks.
- Sign up for airline emails – These can be annoying, but airlines send sales, discounts, and limited-time deals to their subscribers that are easy to miss otherwise.
- Follow blogs and forums – Reddit communities like r/travel, r/Flights, or travel Facebook groups are full of tips and firsthand experiences. Looking up specific destination groups can also help in showcasing how others are getting to where you want to be.
- Follow airlines on social media – Some flash sales or new route announcements show up first on Twitter or Instagram.
- Pay attention to routes, hubs, and alternative airports – Knowing which airlines fly which routes, hub cities, and alternative airports gives you an edge. For example, knowing that flying out of Denver might be cheaper than Salt Lake for some destinations or that some airlines like Norse can have really cheap flights to Europe.
- Experiment and learn from experience – Try stopovers, positioning flights, or flexible dates. Each experiment teaches lessons about pricing, timing, and airline quirks.
- Track patterns over time – Notice trends in pricing and promos. Even simple notes or a spreadsheet help you spot opportunities.
Cheap flights get you moving. Understanding travel is what lets you travel smarter, spotting opportunities, making strategic choices, and eventually seeing how miles and points can multiply your trips. The more you engage and explore, the more your awareness grows, and the more doors open for travel that feels almost effortless.
A Quick Note on Miles and Points
Once you start spotting deals and understanding how travel works, miles and points can take things even further. They are like a multiplier for the strategies you’re already using. With points, you can book flights or hotels that might otherwise be out of reach. You do not need them to start traveling more, but once you are comfortable with finding deals and paying attention to opportunities, learning how to earn and use points can open even more doors.
For a full guide on getting started with miles and points, check out our post Where to Start with Miles and Points.
Wrapping It Up
Traveling more is not about luck or insider secrets. It is about paying attention, staying curious, and taking action. Start with cheap flights. They are the gateway skill that gets you out the door and builds confidence. Sign up for deal alerts, follow airline promotions, and be flexible with dates and destinations. Experiment, track patterns, and learn from every trip.
At the same time, invest a little time in understanding how travel works. Learn about routes, hubs, stopovers, flash sales, and airline quirks. This knowledge compounds over time and turns random deals into strategic opportunities.
Once you are comfortable, miles and points become a natural next step. They multiply everything you have learned and give you even more freedom to travel farther, smarter, and for less.
The most important thing is to start doing it. Pick a flight, grab a deal, take the trip, and let your curiosity guide you. Every step teaches something new and gets you closer to traveling more often than you ever thought possible.