Credit Card Rewards Aren't the Only Way to Travel Affordable. These 5 Flight Deal Services Can Help Save on Airfare

While I love to travel the world, I'm not a fan of paying full price for travel. Whenever I get a great airfare or hotel deal, it feels satisfying, and I seem to enjoy my trip more.

If you've researched flight costs recently, you may have been disappointed with the prices you saw. But what if I told you there are flight deal services that can help you score cheap airfare? A good airfare deal could free up more money in your vacation budget for other travel expenses. With a flight deal subscription, you can save hundreds of dollars on flights each year. Find out how with the below services.

1. Going

Going, formerly Scott's Cheap Flights, is a flight deals service I've used before. The company sends airfare deals to your email inbox. Currently, three membership options are available, including a free membership for those on a limited budget. Paid memberships cost between $49 and $199 per year. Going sends international and domestic flight deals and economy and premium and first-class deals -- but to see deals for all fare types beyond economy, you'll need to invest in the Elite membership, which costs $199 annually.

2. Secret Flying

Secret Flying is another airfare deal membership you can join. But one thing that differs about Secret Flying is it's completely free to join. There are no premium subscriptions. After signing up, you'll be sent domestic and international flight deals straight to your inbox. You can set your departure city so you only receive alerts for deals that depart from your home airport.

3. Thrifty Traveler

I recently signed up for Thrifty Traveler and am a fan so far. Thrifty Traveler offers two memberships. A Premium membership costs $69.99 annually and enables you to receive domestic and international flight deals for economy-class tickets. The most expensive Premium Plus plan costs $89.99 yearly, and with this membership, you'll get even more deals, including business and first-class deals and points and miles deal alerts.

4. Dollar Flight Club

Another airfare deal service is Dollar Flight Club. Similarly to the services mentioned above, you'll be sent airfare deals by email. Three membership types are offered. Free members are sent a limited number of deals. Paid memberships cost between $69 and $169 yearly. If you want to receive domestic and international deals, you'll want to invest in a paid membership. Premium Plus members receive business class flight deals and economy class deals.

5. Airfarewatchdog

The final flight deal membership on our list is Airfarewatchdog. This service is free to join. Most airfare deals sent to your inbox are for domestic flights, but sometimes international deals are available. After signing up for a free account, don't forget to set your departure city so you don't miss the best deals departing from your home airport.

How to use flight deal services to save big on travel

Flight deal services can be beneficial if you're trying to travel more without depleting your checking account balance. Getting a good deal on travel can allow you to prioritize travel while staying on track with your personal finance goals. Talk about a win-win situation.

After finding a cheap airfare deal you like, you can use an airfare price comparison tool like Google Flights to find potential travel dates that match your availability. But you'll need to buy cheap plane tickets directly from the airline. Don't forget to book your tickets using a travel credit card to earn rewards and redeem them later for free travel. Flight deals like the ones offered through the service mentioned above prove that you can explore the world while on a budget.