Students can book $25 holiday flights with Amazon Prime — plus 4 other ways to save

As college students prepare for end-of-semester exams, many are also packing their bags to spend the winter holidays with their families.

Flights aren’t cheap, especially when squeezed into a student’s tight budget. Airline fares were up 4.1% in October 2024 compared to the same month in 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

If you plan on flying home for the holidays and haven’t booked your ticket yet, you may be in luck. Amazon has partnered with StudentUniverse, an online travel agency specializing in discount student and young adult travel, to offer Prime Young Adult members a limited number of $25 flights to and from home this holiday season.

Even if you can’t take advantage of this amazing deal, CNBC Select shares other ways students and young adults can save money when flying home from college.

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With this promotion, Prime Young Adult members will have the opportunity to book one round trip or one-way domestic ticket through StudentUniverse for just $25.

This promotion will run from Dec. 9, through Dec. 13, 2024, with a total of 5,000 $25 flight tickets up for grabs across the five days. There will be 1,000 tickets made available each day starting at 10 a.m. PST and ending at 11 p.m. PST. 

If you’re lucky enough to snag a ticket, you’ll be able to fly anywhere within the U.S. and receive a discount rate of up to $500 off the current retail value of a round-trip ticket. The discounted tickets can be used for travel between mid-December and early January. Outbound travel can be anytime between Dec. 9 and Dec. 25, 2024, and inbound travel must be between Dec. 9, 2024 and Jan. 14, 2025.

Bookings and full terms and conditions are available via the Prime Young Adult x StudentUniverse page.

A Prime Young Adult membership costs $69 per year and comes with benefits like complimentary expedited shipping, digital services like Amazon Music and Amazon Prime Video, deals at Whole Foods Market, early access to Lightning deals, free one-year membership to Grubhub+ and more.

If you’re on the fence about signing up, but still want to take advantage of this promotion, Amazon offers a 6-month free trial of Prime Young Adult. To be eligible for Amazon’s Young Adult membership, you must be 18 to 24 years old or a higher-education student of any age.

If you’re not lucky enough to take advantage of the limited-time Prime Young Adult deal, there are still other ways to save on your flights.

Use flight search aggregators and deal websites

Search aggregators like Google Flights can be extremely helpful as they may offer calendars that allow the user to simultaneously compare prices between many dates. Some sites also offer price tracking, which alerts you when a certain flight’s price drops. 

Depending on how you booked, you may be able to get money back if the price of your flight dropped after booking. For example, Expedia’s Price Drop Protection add-on monitors the price of a flight from purchase to takeoff and automatically refunds you the difference between what you paid and the lowest fare.

Google Flights offers a similar feature for certain flights, while Capital One Travel automatically offers its price drop protection to all eligible cardholders. Just beware that every booking engine’s price drop coverage works slightly differently and that this feature sometimes costs a small fee.

Of course, tracking flights and protecting your price makes the most sense if you start searching early. Scott Keyes, founder and chief flight expert at flight deal subscription service Going, previously told CNBC Select that the “goldilocks window” to book a domestic flight is three to seven months in advance.

Book with points and miles

Flight prices are higher during the holiday season than during the off-season. So, it’s a good time to use any points or miles earned on a credit card to book holiday travel, as Keyes recommended to CNBC Select.

Some student credit cards come with generous welcome bonuses that could help you cover a flight. For example, the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card offers new cardholders a $50 bonus after spending $100 in the first three months, as well as valuable cash back rewards for ongoing spending.

Look for student discounts

Beyond the limited-time $25 flight deal, Prime Young Adult members have access to year-round travel savings through StudentUniverse. Members get up to 10% off already discounted flights (additional discount of at least $5), 10% back on hotels as an Amazon gift card and free premium customer support with every booking (a $7.95 value).

Some airlines offer student discounts when you book directly. For example, United offers a 5% discount to travelers between 18 and 24 when booking through the United mobile app with a MileagePlus® account.

Depending on how often you fly home, it could be worth considering a flight pass subscription from an airline like Alaska Airlines or Frontier. While each airline’s subscription operates differently, they allow you to book a specified number of flights (or unlimited) for a flat fee.

Be flexible

Per Keyes’ recommendations, the more flexibility you have the better. If possible, be flexible on your departure and return days, as well as airports — in some cases, it could be worth driving or taking a train to a nearby airport to score a better price.

Likewise, it’s good to be flexible on flight times. According to Keyes, as well as Expedia’s 2024 Air Travel Hacks Report, morning flights have a lower chance of being delayed or canceled. Plus, they may sometimes be cheaper.

Students might think they don’t have flexibility due to their final exam schedule, but you may be able to save significantly by leaving a few days earlier and taking your exam remotely or in advance. Certain professors are more amicable to this accommodation than others, so use your better judgment before making such requests.

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For rates and fees of the Discover it® Student Cash Back, click here.