We’ve all been there. You’ve built the perfect itinerary for your dream trip or big work trip.  The final step is to book your airline tickets. The only problem is that to book now would mean going over your travel budget, and you may not have time to create and follow a saving strategy. Suddenly, the payment options that let you fly now and pay later through installments or monthly payments look like your best choice.

The problem is that payment plans that cut upfront costs through monthly installments could cost you more in the long run — and even if they don’t, they might require a credit check before you can book them. 

In this article, we’ll break down the best flight payment plan without a credit check so you can pay for your airfare as efficiently as possible.

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Choosing a flight payment plan can be confusing whether you’re new to booking airline tickets or are a seasoned traveler. Many airlines have their own fly now pay later options with unique requirements, and that’s not even considering third-party companies that specialize in financing options for airfare.

Still, the basic idea is simple. If you don’t have time to save money the old-fashioned way or through clever hacks, you can pick a flight, sign up for a payment plan that lowers the upfront costs of the tickets, and repay the costs through installments.

How does booking with a travel payment plan work?

A travel payment plan aims to reduce the upfront costs of airfare so travelers can book flights when prices are at their lowest or match their itinerary best.

Airlines and third-party providers do that by creating repayment plans that allow the passenger to pay their airfare over time. How long that payment period is depends on the provider and the user’s down payment. Depending on the agreement, the plan could include interest, fees, and other requirements to pay it off completely. However, each payment plan is unique, so it’s important to pay attention to the fine details of a plan before committing to it. 

No matter how appealing the idea of booking your airfare with a small down payment is, there are drawbacks that you need to be aware of before you agree to a plan. 

In some cases, they may be a creative way to save money, like If you’re getting a great deal on flights and need to lock in your airfare before prices change. However, there are several reasons why delayed payment options may not be the best choice for you. 

Higher overall cost 

The low upfront payment may make it seem like you’ll pay less for your airline tickets. However, when you account for interest on your monthly installments, fees for things like processing and opening airline-specific credit cards, and any late fees that may come from missed installment payments, you could end up paying more for a travel payment plan.

To make things even more difficult, figuring out the total cost of a buy now pay later plan can be complicated by difficult agreements and terms. 

We’ve all agreed to contracts and terms without reading them completely since they’re often filled with dense legal terms. However, those lender terms may contain information about hidden fees and missed payment fees. In fact, 57% of consumers say they’ve overspent on buy now pay later payment plans and regret their purchase.  

Accumulation of debt

Even if you get a great deal (like interest-free payments), travel payment plans do build up debt. That debt may not seem like an issue at first since you get to travel sooner, but it could affect your credit score. Or, if you can’t meet the terms of your repayment plan, your debt could balloon well beyond the original number. 

Lack of rewards or benefits

One of the main benefits of buying plane tickets with a credit card upfront is that the large purchase earns you rewards through your credit card provider. For example, Delta Skymiles accumulate through your purchases and can be redeemed for other flights or hotel deals. 

JetBlue, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Delta also have rewards for those who purchase tickets, like lounges in airports and partnerships with activity providers. Some credit cards are even designed specifically for travel and have built-in rewards that can help you save on travel now and in the future. 

Even if you book your travel payment plan on a credit card, the delayed costs may not meet the threshold to qualify for rewards.

Limited consumer protection

When you commit to a travel payment plan, you often agree to unique terms that you may be unaware of. 

For example, your travel payment plan may not include eligibility for cancellation insurance. That means you’ll pay the full price of your tickets, as well as any fees or interest, whether you make your flight or not. 

That’s not all: If you purchase your fly now pay later plan from a third party, then you also may not qualify for help from the airline if there is a delay on their end that causes you to miss a connecting flight.

If you have flexibility for your travel plans, then you can avoid fly now pay later plans entirely while still being rewarded with Accrue Savings. Accrue Savings helps you save for big purchases like airline tickets through partnerships with leading travel brands. 

With our CheapOAir partnership, you can create a savings goal and add funds to your account through a single deposit, recurring deposits, or even crowdsourcing from friends and family. You can even build your savings account around a specific destination or set of dates you’d like to travel. Then, CheapOAir will help you meet your goal by rewarding you with a percentage of your savings goal so that you can have even more motivation to save.

Benefits of using a savings platform like Accrue

What does that look like for you? Let’s say you need to save $1,000 for your airline tickets. Accrue’s partnership with CheapOAir rewards you with a 6% reward incentive. This means that once you have $940 in your savings account, CheapOAir will cover the rest — helping you reach your $1,000 goal faster than ever without going into credit card debt.   

Save on your air travel expenses with Accrue Savings

Buy now pay later payment plans may seem like the best way to save on airfare at first, but they can be complicated, require credit checks, and slam you with credit card debt — all the while offering little consumer protection.

Accrue Savings rewards you with deals for saving responsibly through partnerships with companies like CheapOAir to help you save more — and faster. See how Accrue and CheapOair can help you save for your next trip!

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