14 Tips to Find Cheap Flights

It’s a battle against the machines. Armed with our software and algorithms, we race to find cheap flights across the web. The most resourceful comes out on top.

To take a moment to appreciate the times we’re living in, just think how none of this even existed in the beginning. There weren’t any computer algorithms determining the price of travel.

It was simple. People were behind the prices. Now, “robots” are called “AI” and “algorithms”. Yet, they are essentially the same thing; the hidden influential force making the final judgement on how much we pay for a flight, whether we like it or not.

And we must adapt if we want to keep up with the times and save hundreds on flight prices.

Below, I’ve gathered all the tips I’ve learned throughout my years of long-term travel exploring over 20 countries to keep us up to date on the changing times, saving on all money, time, and precious energy possible buying flights. I also did a lot of research on various forums and blogs and learned a lot of new tips I hadn’t yet learned.

I’ve applied, tested, and verified every tip and put all of them in this article for you to find cheap flights across the web. Read on to save hundreds getting the best flight price possible.

1. Protect your identity, then search.

Clear your browser’s cache and cookies and use private browsing or an incognito window (more info below for those who aren’t yet aware) while looking at flights. Use a VPN (more info below) in place of a private browsing session for added protection. Additionally, consider searching for flights on one device and book using a different device.

Airlines and flight aggregators track cookies: fact or fiction?

FACT. Not all, but many.

These extra steps I recommend are because many airlines and flight aggregators and airlines have computer algorithms that work to make them the most money. Their websites track who is searching for what based on the user’s computer IP address. When they see an address searching the same flight multiple times, they (may) increase the price so you’ll buy sooner. I have seen it so many times that I decided long ago to make it a habit of following tip 1 religiously.

If we want to get the absolute best price, it’s best to use private or incognito browsing and a good VPN, along with clearing our cookies. This way, computer algorithms won’t know who has previously searched for a specific flight route and hike up the prices in result.

Since there are so many variables involved in the price (destination, day of week bought, day of week departing, location of origin, airline, etc.), it becomes a mix of art and luck when buying an airline ticket.

Fortunately, this article, paired with this article will show you how to make your own luck and perfect the art of buying flights at great prices.

What is Private browsing and incognito windows?

For those who don’t know, private browsing and incognito windows are tools built into your browser that allow them some level of anonymity while browsing the web. While it doesn’t hide things like your location, it hides other things like your search history, cookies, or the files you download.

What is a VPN?

A VPN, on the other hand, is a service which changes your IP address and location, giving you extra protection from websites who collect this data.

There are both free and paid VPN services out there that offer different things. I recommend you do some research on the right VPN for you if it’s something you’re interested in.

2. Book earlier in the week.

Airlines usually send out their sale prices on Mondays. The prices start to increase throughout the week, with the highest prices being saved for the weekends. For this reason, I recommend booking on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. On rarer occasions, a Sunday will be a good day to buy.

3. Check your route using several flight search engines, like Momondo, google flights, kayak, and skyscanner.

Remember to use both methods listed in tip #1 while searching.

4. Book with the airline’s website.

You’ll often get a better price this way as some airlines incentivize travelers to book through their website by offering lower prices. Plus, some airlines (Southwest Airlines) don’t even display their prices on sites like this, encouraging travelers to use their own website to book.

5. Be flexible, if possible.

If you don’t have specific dates and/or destination in mind, check flights leaving and/or returning on different days or months. Consider flying out of or into another hub airport, or choosing a new but similar destination altogether. These factors always affect the price, so it’s worth being flexible in your travels if you’re looking to save more money.

Looking at the destination where you want to go, when is the low season? Consider traveling during this time (or right at the beginning/end) and you will save tons on airfare, food, rent, and excursions. Sometimes you can save over half as much money and energy that you would if you had gone during the destination’s high season.

Skyscanner has an option to check the cheapest months to fly for your destination. Click ‘Explore’ on the App, or ‘Explore our map’ on the main page and you can view prices to many different locations. When you click a destination, Skyscanner has a feature that allows you to see prices and how they compare to each other based on day of the month and month of the year.

6. Search for error fares using SecretFlying.com.

Because of human and computer errors, some flights will be greatly reduced in price by hundreds or even thousands of dollars. SecretFlying hunts down these prices and posts them on their website.

For example, an airline employee/AI agent could mean to price of a first class ticket from Denver to Paris at $1,300 and instead, accidentally miss a zero and price it at $130.

Just be aware that if you do find a good error-fare flight deal, some airlines will choose not to honor it.

Many, however, will honor the price. Or, they will refund your money and provide a bit of travel credit to generate some good press without paying the full price of their error. But act fast, because these fares can be corrected to a normal price at any moment.

And on that note, if you do find these deals, book through the airline’s website. I say this because the online travel agency websites—such as Kayak—have to put in a request for the ticket. This can sometimes take a while and risks the price being corrected before you get your ticket. In which case, your money will have to be refunded and more time will be lost getting your ticket. Buy directly from the airline to avoid this.

7. Consider breaking the trip up into separate flights you book yourself.

See if it’s possible and economical to book two one-way tickets, outbound and inbound (instead of round-trip) which can reduce the amount you pay considerably.

Alternatively, book separate legs of a single outbound or inbound trip yourself, instead of allowing search engines to clump them together. Just remember to allow plenty of time during your layover to grab your bag and get to the next gate on time.

Another option is to consider traveling to your layover city and then exploring it for however long, getting a flight days or even weeks later to your final destination.

Bonus tip: if you take this route, remember that red-eye (early morning or overnight) flights are usually cheaper because less people want to take them.

8. Look at taking a bus or car to major hub cities and flying from there instead of the local airport.

For example, vacationing to and from northern Michigan, many times it’s much more cost-effective to buy a flight out of Detroit and drive the four hours downstate than fly from the municipal airport. Sometimes, it’s more enjoyable to take the bus to the airport city anyway, like in Colombia, where you can travel by colorfully-painted buses meant to take locals from town to town. Riding through the incredible Andes mountains, seeing colorful and rare birds along the way, moving through clouds, combined with the adrenaline rush of riding without a seat belt on mountain roads is an experience in itself; there’s nothing like it.

9. Keep checking prices throughout the week as much as possible.

This may seem like overkill. But in reality, many airlines change their prices using computer algorithms as often as every hour or even minute.

10. Know the days it’s generally cheaper to fly.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are generally the cheapest to fly. Thursdays and Saturdays are a bit more expensive to fly. Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays are the most expensive days, thanks to their popularity with business travelers who care less about the price tag and more about the timing. Therefore, if possible, try to plan your travel day around these times of the week.

11. Search on Southwest (or your Country’s local airline that doesn’t allow their flights to show up in third-party search results) Airlines’ website if you are departing from a city they operate in.

Southwest doesn’t allow their prices to be displayed on flight aggregator websites like Kayak, Skyscanner, and Google Flights. However, they often have good prices and policies. Search here to view an updated list on their website and see if you are departing from any of the cities they fly from.

Southwest is an airline with flights based in the USA. In other countries, this same quirk of not allowing airline prices to show up on aggregators could apply for local airlines, so it’s worth doing a search if that’s the case to save a bit (or perhaps a lot) more on your flight.

12. Before you book, check for added fees.

Some airlines have very few added fees for the essentials, if any at all.

Others, however, really stack them up. Make sure you don’t get baited by a low base fair and then end up paying more for things such as baggage or leg room on one airline than you would for another airline’s flight offer (at a slightly higher base price). When you find a fare you like, always double check the airline’s policy prices of all that you need (luggage, leg room, upgraded cancellation policy, better seats, early seating, etc.) for your trip before buying.

On another note, make sure to account for if a hotel might be required on the day of travel, or if you’ll need to buy airport food or a meal on a long air commute.

13. After you’ve done your research and you find a great price, jump on it.

I repeat, jump on that price.

Do not wait even an hour if you feel it’s the right price. At this point, it’s a lot like playing chance: you may find a better price down the road, but the chances are you will probably not (and if you do, it probably won’t be much lower, anyway). If that price feels right and is the lowest you have ever seen and the lowest you can expect according to your research for that route and time of year, then take it.

Remember, as per federal regulations in the USA, you usually have a 24-hour cancellation window. This means you won’t be penalized if you buy a ticket and find a better price within that period. As long as it’s seven days or longer before your flight, the government requires airlines to honor this law. Use this cancellation window to monitor the price of your route and see if it goes down any further. For flights bought in other countries, this policy may be different, so please do your research accordingly.

ThePointsGuy has a great article on this topic, as some airlines have more generous windows than others. He mentions another great tip: some airlines allow users to hold their reservation without paying, so you have more time to decide if that’s the flight you want.

There are a lot of factors that affect the price of your flight, and I’m aware of how overwhelming it can get. It is mind-boggling, the amount of information that’s out there on flights.

I’ve done a lot of research over the years. I’ve booked so many flights by now it’s become almost second nature, so shoot me a message on IG if you’d like some extra guidance.

14. Once you’ve booked, don’t stop shopping.

Check the refund policy for the airline you chose. Does it offer free refunds without penalty? Is it legally required to offer a 24-hour grace period, allowing you to cancel? If so, keep shopping after you’ve booked your ticket to make sure you got the best price. If a better price pops up, simply cancel your ticket and re-book with the new flight price.

And that’s it! These are my best tips to find cheap flights. Still, this list is being updated as the technology is constantly evolving with us. May it help you save hundreds on your trip.

Know any of your own tips that I missed? Shoot me a message ON IG or comment below and I’ll add it in.

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