A practical guide to booking the cheapest flight will show you tips and tricks for finding the best possible deals without causing any risks.
Whether you are a low-budget solo traveler or a family looking for an international vacation, finding a cheap flight can make your trip. Most importantly, for most trips, airfare is the most expensive part of the journey. While prices for transatlantic flights have gone down in recent years, they can still play an essential role in any travel budget.
After all, if your flight is too expensive, you’ll probably keep postponing the trip. Namely, we’ve seen it happen repeatedly.
And yet, every day, airlines have thousands of amazing deals — from mistakenly published fares to special promotions to slashing prices to compete with another airline. In particular, cheap rates can turn your dream travel into reality – if you know where to look.
Today, we will help you master the art of getting a cheap flight. Those are the steps we’ve taken to get the best airfare possible. If you follow them too, you will never be the person on a flight who paid the most for his ticket! It is all up to you.
Here’s how to find a cheap flight no matter where you want to go in the world:
Table of Contents
Ignore the Myths
This is perhaps the essential part of “A Practical Guide to Book the Cheapest Flights.” There are a lot of myths online about how to find cheap flights. You’ve probably come across many of them in your search to find the best flight deal! So, the first thing to know about finding a cheap flight is that there is no magic bullet or one secret ninja trick to doing so.
They are all lies. They will lead you astray.
Most websites hire terrible reporters who recycle common and outdated myths. Here are the most common that is 100% not accurate:
- Buying airfare on a Tuesday (or any other specific day) is NOT cheaper.
- There is NO evidence searching incognito leads to cheaper deals.
- There is NO exact date or particular period to book your airfare.
- You can’t predict airline prices, and websites that do are taking an educated (but probably wrong) guess.
Airlines use advanced computer and pricing algorithms to determine prices and run sales based on the time of the year, passenger demand, weather, major events/festivals, time of day, competitor prices, fuel prices, and much more. Those so-called “tricks” don’t work anymore. The system is too intelligent. Throw them out. Let them die.
Don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise. Anyone who is telling you doesn’t know what they are talking about. These myths will 100% lead you astray.
Find Your Cheap Flights Today
Even if you are unsure of your plans, it is best to look for flights today. We start all our searches with Skyscanner because they search all major airlines, like budget airlines. And there’s more; they search non-English websites and everything in between. In other words, the people waiting to make a reservation are the ones who end up spending the most.
Be sure to check out the aviation strikes.
What are aviation strikes? These are airline strikes, traffic controller strikes, etc. Why are we telling you this?
Suppose you booked a flight ticket for Tuesday in one month, primarily because it was the cheapest. The keys are the most affordable daily when the least number of travelers buy them. Therefore, should the airport staff decide to strike, it will most likely be done on a day when they will do the minimum damage. Consequently, they would probably choose Tuesday.
We have already had a similar experience. But fortunately, it all turned out well because we managed to book an alternative flight. Better safe than sorry, right? However, you may never know.
Be Flexible with Your Travel Dates and Times
Airline ticket prices vary greatly depending on the day of the week, time of year, and upcoming holidays, such as Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Thanksgiving, or the Fourth of July. August is a big month for traveling around Europe, and everyone wants to go somewhere warm in the winter or travel when the kids are out of school.
In a nutshell, if you are going to fly when everyone is flying, then your ticket will cost more.
So, what are we trying to show you in this “A Practical Guide to Booking the cheapest flights” article?
Try to be flexible with your dates. If you are dead set on visiting Paris, visit Paris in the spring or fall when fewer people visit, and airfares are cheaper.
Prices will be at their highest. But if you want to go in the middle of August? You’re out of luck. Canarian over Christmas? Good luck!
The solution is to fly off-season. Search alternative dates so that you can capitalize on the best day. The more rigid your plans are, the less likely you will find a deal.
Besides, it’s almost always cheaper to fly in the middle of the week than on a weekend because most people travel on weekends, and the airlines increase their prices then. Prices are also cheaper if you fly after a major holiday, as are early-morning or late-night flights because fewer people want to travel then (who wants to wake up early?!). Fridays and Mondays are also expensive because that’s when most business travelers fly.
After all, the airlines are not silly. They know when a festival, a holiday, a major sporting event, or a school break is coming, and they increase prices accordingly.
In short, be flexible with your dates and times, and save yourself some significant money.
Be Flexible with Your Destinations
If you can’t be flexible with when you fly, at least be flexible with where you fly. It’s best to be both, but if you want to save the most money and get a cheap flight for your trip, you at least need to be flexible with one or the other.
Airline search engines have made it easy to search the world for the cheapest ticket. You no longer have to search manually, city by city, day by day. Web sites like Skyscanner, Momondo, and Google Flights all offer explore tools that allow you to put in your home airport and see a map of the world with all the flights on it. This allows you to quickly compare multiple destinations without brainstorming every possible option. You’ll likely find exciting destinations you hadn’t even considered, either!
Fly Budget Carriers
Years ago, if you wanted to fly between continents, you were mostly stuck with expensive traditional airlines. That’s no longer true. Budget airlines now service short and medium-haul routes worldwide. While most long-haul budget carriers scrapped their courses during COVID, I imagine some will return once the travel industry recovers.
AirAsia offers crazy-cheap deals around Asia and Australia — including flights from Australia to Thailand for under 150 Eur!
Indian and Middle Eastern airlines offer cheap flights throughout the subcontinent and Africa.
These days, you can fly most of the way around the world on a budget airline. Sure, they might not be as comfortable, and you may need to pay for premium upgrades like checking bags and meals, but they bring the world to your doorstep without breaking the bank.
Here is “A practical guide to book the cheapest flights” list of the major budget airlines in the world:
Canada
United States
Asia
(Important tip: If you aren’t sure which budget airlines fly where, visit your departure airport’s website to get a list of airlines that fly there.)
Flying budget airlines are a good alternative to flying “the majors” whenever possible. You get fewer perks, but you can save a bunch in price.
Just be sure to watch out for fees. Budget airlines often charge fees for checked bags, carry-ons, printing your boarding pass, using a credit card, and anything else they can get away with. That’s how they make money! Be sure to add up the ticket cost and fees to ensure the price is lower than a larger carrier.
Direct flights aren’t always the best choice.
Not only does it help to be flexible with dates and destinations, but being flexible with your route is another way to get a cheap flight. For example, sometimes it’s cheaper to fly to London and take a budget airline to Amsterdam than to pass directly to Amsterdam from your departure city.
For instance, there was a direct flight from New York to Hamburg for $765 Eur per person, but we could fly to London for 550 Eur and get an 80 Eur flight to Hamburg. It meant more flying time, but the $135 Eur we saved was worth it to us.
To use this method, find out how much it costs to go directly to your destination. Then, open Google Flights and type in that destination’s continent to look at prices to nearby airports. If the difference is more than 100 Eur, we look to see how much it is to get from the second airport to our primary destination (either by budget flight or train, if it’s not too far).
You can also do this for leaving too. It might be cheaper to fly out from a nearby airport. For long international flights, it can be worth the added time! That’s why we often search other airports to see if it’s cheaper to fly/drive/train there and then fly to our final destination.
If you do book separate segments, be sure to have at least three hours between connections. This will give you space in case of a delay as your second flight won’t wait for you (you booked with a separate airline, so they won’t care if you’re late).
Leaving a three-hour buffer will also cover you for an insurance claim since most insurance companies require at least a 3-hour delay before making a claim.
This method is more work since you must determine many routes and check other airlines. But it can lower the price of your flight, which is worth the extra effort if you save a few hundred bucks.
Note: If you ever have a delayed flight to or from Europe, you might be owed additional compensation (upwards of 600 EUR).
Keep an Eye for Special Deals
Before looking for specific lights, ensure you’ve signed up for some newsletters. Sure, 99% of them might not fit your itinerary, but keeping an eye on the exchanges will ensure you don’t miss a fantastic opportunity. Joining the mailing list for airlines and last-minute deal websites will give you access to the best deals.
Often, cheap flights are only available for a limited window (usually 24 hours). You’ll likely miss out on the best deals if you aren’t constantly scouring the web for sales.
We would have missed a round-trip ticket to Japan for Eur 700 USD and an Eur 500 flight to South Africa if we hadn’t signed up for flight deal websites.
Additionally, airline newsletters often offer frequent flier bonuses. So, if you’re a travel hacker, those points and miles can add up to free flights and awesome upgrades.
Aside from joining airline newsletters, the best websites for finding travel deals are:
- Scott’s Cheap Flights – The BEST for US flight deals.
- Airfarewatchdog – Great for searching US flight deals.
- The Flight Deal – Great for global flight deals.
- Holiday Pirates – The best for European flight deals.
- Secret Flying – An excellent site for flight deals from around the world.
Remember, Not All Search Engines are Equal
To find the best deal, you need to search multiple websites. Many major search sites don’t list budget carriers or obscure foreign carriers because those airlines don’t want to pay a booking commission. Others don’t list booking sites that aren’t in English. Others still only display prices retrieved directly from airlines.
In short, not all flight search websites are created equal, and all have their pros and cons.
Even the best have their faults. Since there is no perfect airline search engine, you’ll want to search a few to compare. I always start with a few favorites as they consistently show the best results.
To me, the best websites to find a cheap flight are the following:
- Skyscanner – The best booking site out there. They have an excellent user interface (and an excellent app for mobile)
- Momondo – They search the most airlines and websites in the world and return with cheaper flights 92% of the time. Use them hand in hand with Skyscanner.
- Google Flights is a great search engine that lets you see prices for multiple destinations.
Typically, I start all my searches with Skyscanner because it searches all major AND budget airlines, non-English websites, English websites, and everything in between. It’s one of the most comprehensive booking sites out there. They have the lowest price 99% of the time, and it’s the search engine all the other travel experts I know use, too. I’ve been using them since 2008, and they vet all the sites they link to, as they have strict criteria on who they operate with.
Take Advantage of Student Discounts
If you are a student (or under 26), there are many, many discounts available to you. Don’t overlook them! You can usually find 20-30% off the standard fare. Travel agencies like Flight Centre can help you find a cheap ticket.
Additionally, remember that most student discounts transfer over to airline partners. For example, Delta offers a student discount, which means you can use that discount on partner airlines such as KLM and Air France. This will allow you to go further afield while saving a lot of money.
If you’re unsure which airlines offer discounts, visit their website or call them. Digging to save 20% (or more) will be worth it!
Mix and Match Airlines
When you book directly with an airline, you can only fly that airline and any partner airline it has. That means your options for finding the perfect itinerary or saving the most money will be limited.
Usually, that will suffice. However, if you’re chasing significant savings, try booking your tickets on separate airlines. For example, if you’re flying from New York to Paris, you might have a stop in London. Booking both legs as one ticket will be simple, but it likely won’t save you money.
Instead, book your New York to London flight as one ticket and then your London to Paris ticket with another airline. That will allow you to shop around for the best bargain. It’s more work, but the savings (and flexibility) can be worth it.
This is what most third-party booking websites like Kiwi.com do. They piece together trips using whatever flights they find to ensure you get the lowest price.
If you’re hunting for the lowest possible price and aren’t happy with what you find on the airline’s website, try booking separate segments. You might stumble onto a great deal!
Use Points and Miles
Once you know you want to travel somewhere, you should register for a Travel Rewards card; airline rewards programs are the best way for avid travelers to earn free flights, travel privileges, and hotel stays. Alternatively, they offer flight upgrades, substantial welcome bonuses, credit for rides such as Uber or Lyft, access to free events, access to airport lounges, and much more.
You should be enrolled in a reward program regardless of how frequently you fly. You don’t need to do any extra spending either. For example, you can earn over a million miles a year — without flying or spending extra money. This means dozens of free flights (often in business class).
If you are smart with your money and collect points and miles (the art of “travel hacking”), you can travel around the world for very little (and often free). Here are some articles from Nomadic Matt on travel hacking that can help you get started:
Search Ticket Prices for Individual Travelers
If traveling with friends or family, don’t search for multiple tickets in a single purchase. Because airlines always show the highest ticket price in a group of keys, you pay more.
Airlines have tons of different price points for tickets (they are based on a variety of factors). They want to sell tickets at the highest fare possible. That’s why when they group tickets, they always list prices in the highest fare bucket.
For example, if you are a family of four and you’re searching for four seats, the airline will find four seats together and show your fare based on the highest ticket price. So if seat A is 200 Eur, seats B and C are 300 Eur, and seat D is 400 Eur, it will price those tickets at 400 Eur each instead of adding up the individual ticket prices. At the end of the day, if the price difference is significant, it means a considerable additional expense.
Because of this, always seek tickets as a single person. Afterward, in the checkout process, you can pick your seats so you and your family sit together. And even if you end up not sitting beside one another, that’s a fair trade for saving a few hundred euros.
Look for Tickets in Other Currencies
If your country’s currency is currently strong compared to others worldwide, search for airfare in a country where the money is weaker.
For example, when the Euro was strong and the New Zealand currency weak, we found a one-way flight from Australia to NYC for 900 Eur. However, when we searched on the New Zealand version of the airline, we found the same ticket for 600 Eur.
It was the same airline, the same flight, and the same booking class. It was booked in another currency. This trick does not always work, but it works pretty often that it is something worth trying if your money is currently doing right.
Book Early (around two months in advance)
Airline fares keep rising the closer you get to departure, but there is a sweet spot when the airlines begin to lower or increase food based on demand. Don’t wait until the last second, but don’t book far, far in advance, either. The best time to book your flight is around 2-3 months before your departure or about five months before if you are going to your destination during their peak season.
However, this isn’t a hard and fast rule, so use it as a guide. At any rate, don’t book at the last minute!
Finding a cheap flight is all about being flexible and getting creative. That’s why it may take some effort. But the deals are out there if you’re willing to look. Follow the tips above to get started. However, don’t waste hours and hours hunting for a cheap flight. If you spend over an hour booking a flight, you spend too much time.
Use the tips above on how to get a cheap flight to get the ball rolling. Do that, and you’ll always get a great deal!
Find Your Cheap Flights Today
We start all our searches with Skyscanner because they search all major AND budget airlines, non-English websites, English websites, and everything else. Even if you aren’t sure about your plans, it’s best to start searching for flights today. People who wait to book are people who end up spending the most.
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