How to get cheap flight tickets Malaysia: Tips for affordable flights

If you’re an avid traveller you might be wondering how to get cheap flight tickets from Malaysia, so you can get to your destination with more money left to spend. There’s not necessarily just one best time to buy flight tickets for a good deal - but there are certainly some smart ways to increase the chance of getting a bargain.

This guide looks at how to get cheap flight tickets for destinations around the world. To make your money go even further, check out Wise for low cost currency conversion and card spending in 150+ countries around the world.

How to book cheap flight tickets?

We all love to travel. And if you can cut the costs of your flights you can do more with your money while you’re actually on your trip. Let’s work through some great tips to get more affordable flights, so you’ll have more left in your wallet when you finally head off for your hard earned adventure. Here are our top tips on how to get flight tickets cheap, no matter where you want to go.

1. Book your flight tickets early for lower prices

Our first tip is to book your flights 6 months to 1 year in advance for some of the best chances of snagging lower fares.

If you know when you’ll be travelling, keep an eye on airline apps and websites, and comparison sites like Skyscanner¹, to see when flight schedules are released. Booking early can often mean you have the best choice of seat types and routes, so you might be able to find a perfect flight for a low cost.

Plus, if you get your trip organised early you’ve got more time to set up accommodation and plan activities when you’re away too.

2. Buy cheap flight tickets during promotional periods

If you’re not able to book your travel so far in advance, it’s still worth thinking about how to book cheap flight tickets closer to your travel date. One smart option is to try to book during promotional periods. For example, the Matta Fair² organised by the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents happens in more or less every state at least once a year, and twice annually in Kuala Lumpur. As many agents are in one place, competition is high - which can mean good deals available for customers.

The other option here is to look out for individual airline promotions and sales. Follow your favourite airlines on social media to get updates about flight offers, and take advantage of a good deal when you see it.

3. Apply promotions and discounts on third-party booking sites

Using third party sites to track and book airline tickets can mean getting access to even more promotions and discounts. You can often set a flight alert to be notified when prices drop on a specific airline - Skyscanner offers this service for example - so you’ll know when the right time is to book.

Bear in mind that when you use an umbrella site like this, you’ll be booking through a third party rather than directly with the airline. This can make things more complicated if you need to change your booking or in the event of delays or cancellations.

4. Use Airmiles and rewards

If you’ve amassed rewards with a specific airline, either direct from previous flights as a member of the frequent flyer club, or through a credit card, don’t forget to use them. You may find that not all flights are available when you try to use rewards to redeem a flight or reduce the costs of a flight - but where you’re travelling with a bit of flexibility it’s well worth looking to avoid rewards going to waste.

If you’re redeeming air miles you might find the booking process is easier over the phone for some airlines. You’ll be able to ask about flight availability, and check the value of your rewards without needing to calculate everything yourself.

5. Be flexible with flights

You’ll need to invest a little time to find the best cheap flight tickets from Malaysia - but by comparing the costs on different dates and days, as well as slightly different route options, you may find a real bargain.

Usually mid-week travel is cheaper than leaving on a Monday or Friday, although travelling on a Saturday may still present good value if you’re flying business. You’ll also want to be mindful of events in the destination you’re heading to, as peak times can mean peak prices. Avoid national holidays and festivals if you can, for a smoother journey and a cheaper ticket.

Being flexible about how you ultimately get to your destination can be another smart tip. For example, you may want to take connecting flights instead of direct as they might be cheaper. Or look at different airports which serve the same end destination - for example in Tokyo you can compare flights into Narita vs Haneda - or fly into Nagoya and take the bullet train to your final destination. Similarly if you want to go to London. You may find that flights to Gatwick or Stansted are cheaper than getting into Heathrow, particularly if you’re connecting along the way.

6. Pay in local currency

A recent study by Wise showed that booking in the local currency of the departure airport is cheaper than paying in your home currency (if that’s different), because of extra fees added into the exchange rates used to convert from one currency to another.

The study found that the carriers it reviewed charged an average of 4.85% - 8.88% more when you pay for a flight in a currency other than that used at the flight’s departure country. That could make a huge difference if you’re travelling long haul or if you’re a frequent flyer.

Make sure you look at the costs of your preferred flight in the origin currency, and check the exchange rate so you’re familiar with what that means in MYR if you’re going to pay in a different currency. Take note of any fees your card provider will charge you to convert currencies, or get a card from a provider which has low conversion fees and the mid-market exchange rate - like the Wise card. More on that next.

Save even more on your travels when paying in foreign currency with the Wise card

You can open an account with Wise to hold and exchange 40+ currencies, with mid-market rates and low transparent fees. Then order a Wise card to make it easier than ever to spend at home and abroad in foreign currencies.

You can get a physical Wise card to make Chip and Pin, contactless and mobile payments - and get money from an ATM when you need it. For an added layer of security you can order up to 3 virtual Wise cards for online or contactless payments through Apple or Google Pay.

Just add money to Wise in MYR and exchange it for the currency you need during your trip. Or, leave your money in ringgit and let the card do the conversion for you. In either case, there’s no foreign transaction fee³ to worry about, which can make this a cheap and convenient way to pay for your flights, and to pay when you travel.

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Sources:

1. Skyscanner
2. Matta Fair
3. Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information