AndieSearching for cheap flights? Aren’t we all? Here are my best tips on scoring cheap flights!
Flights are always the scariest part of booking a trip for me. What time is best? What day? What airline? Did I compare and check every price? How to know I got the best price?
I always look at flights first, because we all know they are the most expensive part of your adventure….but hopefully these tips will help you like they have me!
Here are my top 5 ways to find cheap flights:
1. Be sure to check with major airports. ie: LAX, O’hare, ATL
Sometimes flights can cost double when booked through your “local” airport. Typically the bigger the city, the better the prices.
Why? Bigger airports have ore flights, more companies and more competition. Often times landing you better rates for flights.
In reverse, always try to fly into a major airport! If traveling to a smaller destination, try looking at flying into a major city and then booking separate flights with a smaller airline from there. This isn’t always the case, and there are deals to be found and cheap flights through budget airlines, but it’s definitively worth a try.
2. Don’t book too soon! Or too late…
When is the best time to book a flight? I always wait for my sweet spot booking time. This is about 6 to 8 weeks before your departure. I know…that seems late, and it even gives me anxiety sometimes….but this is when you can find the lowest discounted flight prices. I’ve found that the best day to fly in and out of cities are Tuesdays and Thursdays…therefore when possible, I always check those days of the week first!
4. Be open to last minute deals
Always check for “deals” or last minute deals if your schedule allows. This isn’t for everyone and most people know where they are going and have jobs that keep them from jetting off at a moments notice. But, if you are one of the lucky ones, this is a great trick!
4. Go incognito!
I typically search for flights in my browser with the “secret agent man” clicked at the top! This way, those cookie things aren’t tracking everything to search and when you go back to check prices…over and over…and over again, the price won’t be higher because they know you’re likely to book!
You can tap on the 3 dots to the right and pull up “Turn on Incognito mode”, but I refer to him as my secret agent man!
5. Google Flights, Sky Scanner and Hopper should be saved on your home screen
Different search engines work better for different needs. If you have time and flexible dates, Google Flights is my go-to for the best price. Its super easy to use and save. You get the “best deals” tab, color coded price dates, and email updates on price changes!
Same for Hopper! It even tells you a prediction of what the flight prices are likely to do in the coming months and gives you a date they should go up! This is my favorite, because it gives me a little peace when choosing to wait to book.
If your dates are locked in and unchangeable, head over to Skyscanner. They search the most airlines for the best price and have often saved me 100’s
PRO tip:
Check out my favorite paid travel membership Going
This is the old company referred to as “Scott’s Cheap Flights“. Basically, this is a paid membership that searches far and wide for deals to places all over the world. You can have a free account, but the Premium Membership gets you even better deals.
You choose your 5 preferred airports, and you can search where to go or just check out their listed deals. I have a good friend that only travels this way. She lets this app decide where she will go, and she has had some great adventures doing this!
The catch, you need to be ready to purchase when you see a deal because Going will tell you where to purchase the discounted flight, but typically it only lasts about 48 hrs at that discounted price! But…the deals can be up to 90% off!!!
Maybe some of these tips will help you land the best price possible and save big on your next adventure!
xoxo,
Andie
Ready to plan a road trip? Check out my road trip through Utah post. And click here to Shop my recommended travel gear!
