Ultimate Guide to Finding Cheap Flights: Tips & Tricks

Air travel can be one of the most significant expenses in any trip, but with a few strategic approaches, you can drastically cut down on these costs. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or planning your first big trip, knowing how to find cheap flights can free up your budget for more exciting parts of your journey. I hope my comprehensive guide will walk you through various tactics, tools, and tips to ensure you get the best possible deals on your next flight.

1. Embrace Flexibility in Your Travel Plans

Flexibility is the cornerstone of finding cheap flights. If you’re able to adjust your travel dates, times, or even your destination, you’ll have a much better chance of scoring a great deal. Here’s how flexibility can work in your favor:

• Travel Dates:Flight prices can vary dramatically depending on the day of the week, the time of year, and even the time of day. For example, flying mid-week is often cheaper than flying on weekends, and early morning or late-night flights tend to have lower demand.

• Destinations: If you’re open to exploring different destinations, you’ll find more opportunities for deals. Sometimes, it’s cheaper to fly to a nearby city and then take a train or bus to your final destination.

• Airports: Consider flying into or out of different airports. Major cities often have multiple airports, and some might offer cheaper flights than others. Factor in the cost and time of transportation to and from the airport when making your decision.

2. Leverage Flight Comparison Tools

Using flight comparison websites is essential in the hunt for cheap flights. These tools aggregate flight options from numerous airlines, making it easy to compare prices and choose the best deal. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular tools:

• Skyscanner: Skyscanner is a versatile search engine that allows you to search for flights to “everywhere,” showing you the cheapest options from your departure point. It also has a month view option, which highlights the best days to fly.

Here is the link- https://www.skyscanner.com/

• Google Flights: Google Flights is known for its user-friendly interface and powerful filtering options. You can search for flights by specific dates, but also view price trends, and set alerts for fare changes.

Here is the link- https://www.google.com/travel/flights?gl=IN&hl=en

• Momondo: Momondo is another great tool that often finds lower prices than other search engines. It searches for smaller OTAs (Online Travel Agencies), which can sometimes offer cheaper fares than booking directly with airlines.

Here is the link-https://www.momondo.in/

These tools also often offer the option to track prices and receive notifications when fares drop, ensuring you don’t miss out on a good deal.

 3. Take Advantage of Price Alerts

One of the smartest ways to secure cheap flights is by setting up **price alerts**. These alerts will notify you when a flight you’re interested in drops in price. Most flight comparison websites and apps, such as Skyscanner, Google Flights, and Momondo, offer this feature. By setting an alert early, you can monitor fare trends over time and book when prices hit their lowest point.

• How to Set Price Alerts: Simply enter your travel details into your chosen comparison tool and select the option to set up an alert. You’ll receive email notifications or app notifications if the price drops or if a significant change occurs.

• Benefits of Monitoring Prices: Flights often fluctuate in price due to various factors like demand, airline pricing strategies, and fuel costs. Monitoring these changes allows you to purchase tickets at the most opportune moment.

4. Book Directly with Airlines

While third-party booking sites can offer great deals, booking directly with the airline can sometimes be more advantageous. When you book directly:

• Avoid Extra Fees: Third-party sites might have hidden booking fees that aren’t immediately obvious. These can add up and make a seemingly cheaper flight more expensive.

• Better Customer Service: If something goes wrong with your booking, it’s generally easier to resolve issues directly with the airline than through a third-party service.

• Access to Airline Perks: Airlines often offer exclusive deals, loyalty points, and other perks for booking directly through their website.

Always check the airline’s website after finding a deal on a comparison site. Occasionally, airlines have price matching policies or special promotions that aren’t available elsewhere.

5. Consider Budget Airlines (But Watch for Hidden Costs)

Budget airlines can offer incredibly low fares, making them an attractive option for cost-conscious travelers. However, it’s important to be aware of the potential downsides:

• Basic Fares: Budget airlines often sell basic fares that cover the flight only. Extras like checked baggage, seat selection, meals, and even carry-on luggage might come with additional fees.

• Baggage Fees: Always check the airline’s baggage policy before booking. Some budget carriers have strict limits on the size and weight of bags and charge high fees for any excess.

• Inconvenient Airports: Budget airlines sometimes operate out of secondary airports that are further away from city centers, potentially adding time and transportation costs to your trip.

To get the best value, compare the total cost of flying with a budget airline (including all fees) with the cost of a standard airline ticket.

6. A misconception about Incognito Mode

For those that don’t know, Incognito mode, also known as private browsing mode, is a mode on your internet browser that lets you browse the internet without leaving any trace of your online activity on the device you’re using. This means that no cookies, browsing history or temporary data are saved, and instead are deleted when you close the incognito window.

Some people think that airlines adjust prices based on search history, but this is not true. The belief that using incognito mode can help you find cheaper flights is a misconception and won’t actually lower your costs. Reliable sources like Going, Travel + Leisure, and Thrifty Traveler confirm that this idea is incorrect. From my own experience as a frequent traveler, I can attest that flight prices are not affected by previous searches but are influenced by dynamic factors such as supply and demand, seat availability, seasonal trends, and competition among airlines. Prices usually increase as the departure date approaches due to decreasing seat availability and travelers delaying their bookings. Airlines understand that many people wait until the last minute, so they often raise prices to take advantage of this tendency.

7. Plan Layovers to Save Money

Strategically planning your layovers can also help reduce flight costs. Often, flights with longer layovers are cheaper than direct flights. Here’s how you can take advantage of this:

• Multi-City Tickets: Instead of booking a direct flight, look for multi-city options where you can have a layover in a city you’d like to explore. Sometimes, this approach not only saves money but also allows you to visit an additional destination.

• Consider Separate Tickets: Sometimes, booking separate tickets for each leg of your journey can be cheaper than booking a single ticket for the entire trip. Just make sure there’s enough time between flights to avoid missing your connection.

8. Travel During Off-Peak Times

Flight prices are heavily influenced by supply and demand. Traveling during off-peak times can lead to significant savings:

• Seasonality: Avoid peak travel seasons such as summer holidays, Christmas, and New Year’s. Instead, travel during shoulder seasons (spring and autumn), when destinations are less crowded, and prices are lower.

• Weekdays vs. Weekends: Flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are typically cheaper than those on Fridays and Sundays, when more people are traveling.

• Time of Day: Early morning and late-night flights often have lower fares, as they are less convenient for most travelers.

By adjusting your travel plans to off-peak times, you can save money and enjoy a less crowded travel experience.

9. Explore Nearby Airports

Expanding your search to include nearby airports can sometimes reveal cheaper flights:

• Secondary Airports: Major cities often have secondary airports that are served by budget airlines, offering cheaper flights. For example, London has Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton airports.

• Cross-Border Airports: In some regions, crossing a national border to fly out of a nearby country can offer significant savings due to differences in taxes and airport fees.

• Airport Transfers: Factor in the cost and time of getting to and from these alternative airports. Sometimes, the savings are worth it, even when adding the cost of transportation.

When searching for flights, use the “nearby airports” option on comparison sites to see if flying from or to a different airport can save you money.

10. Utilize Frequent Flyer Miles and Points

If you frequently travel or have a credit card that offers travel rewards, accumulating frequent flyer miles or points can significantly reduce your travel costs:

• Earning Miles: Sign up for airline loyalty programs and use a travel rewards credit card for everyday purchases. Many cards offer sign-up bonuses, which can be enough for a free flight.

• Redeeming Points: Use your points strategically by booking flights during sales or using them to upgrade your seat class. Some programs also allow you to pay for part of your flight with points and the rest with cash.

• Maximizing Value: Transfer points between programs or use them for higher-value redemptions like long-haul flights or premium cabins.

While earning enough miles for a free flight takes time, it’s a great way to reduce the cost of your flights over the long term.

11. Check Foreign Airline Websites

Sometimes, booking through a foreign airline’s website or the version of an airline’s site targeted at another country can yield lower prices due to currency differences or local promotions:

• Currency Fluctuations: If the currency in the country of the airline is weaker than your own, you might find cheaper fares when paying in that currency.

• Regional Promotions: Airlines often run promotions targeted at specific countries or regions. By accessing these deals,

12. Don’t book to late

It is true that in the past, some airlines would offer discounted last-minute fares to fill their planes and break even, but this practice is now rare. Last-minute deals have largely disappeared from the airline industry, and when they do occur, they are infrequent and unpredictable.

Flight prices may occasionally decrease due to factors such as low demand, airline promotions, or an oversupply of seats (for example, if a new airline starts operating on that route). However, as the departure date approaches, there is a higher likelihood that prices will increase substantially.

During peak travel times, such as summer, public holidays, or school vacations, flight prices are unlikely to drop due to high demand. Therefore, it is advisable to book your flights as soon as your plans are confirmed.

For long-haul flights outside of peak season, it is generally best to secure your tickets 3 to 6 months in advance. For short-haul flights, booking at least a month ahead is recommended.

Happy Traveling!