Cheap flights for late summer travel? How to use points, miles and more to get away

CHICAGO (WLS) -- There is still time to find a cheap getaway for Labor Day or in the warm weeks of late summer and early fall.

Experts advise remembering airline miles and being flexible with destinations to save more money.

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"The key is to be flexible. Instead of picking a destination and then searching for flights to that destination, leave yourself open to the possibility of going somewhere new," said travel expert Julian Kheel who founded Points Path. "That just has a good flight deal, and that way you'll find places that you can get to for a very low price."

Points Path helps consumers compare airline points versus cash options. Kheel said you can quickly find different destinations by searching Google Flights, and also said airline miles and points will get you more than you think because of a new trend in many airline booking systems.

"Instead of blocking seats, having blackout dates, not making seats available. Instead, they'll make more seats available, but the price in miles will fluctuate," Kheel said. "So, on high demand dates. It will cost you more miles to get that seat. But when an airline is trying to get rid of seats on a less popular flight, that's a great time to get a great deal with your miles."

Also remember that some airlines partner with each other, which means points and miles can sometimes be interchangeable.

"Because American and Alaska are partners. They're both part of what's known as the One World Alliance. You can use American miles on Alaska flights and Alaska miles on American flights," said Kheel.

And it's not too early to start thinking about Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other year-end holiday travel, even if your plans are not set in stone.

"The really great thing is that most us airlines, since the pandemic, have created a main economy ticket that can be changed without any penalty. Now, if there's a change in fare, you'll have to pay the difference in fare, but you won't have to pay a fee to change your ticket, so your best bet is to lock in your holiday plans as early as possible," Kheel said.

One warning: If you think there's a chance you may have to change or cancel your travel plans, do not book a lower-cost basic economy flight.

Another money saving tip: instead of round trip, you can book two one-way flights on separate airlines which can be cheaper.