Find Cheap Flights

Top tips to find cheap flights

1. Use Private Browsing

Ever looked for a flight, then looked the next day and it went up in price? Airlines track your browsing and bump up flights when they notice you're looking at flights across several days.

Private browsing can help with that.

1. Clear your cookies
2. Use private browsing or incognito mode

Now you're good to go. From here on out, continue with #2 while booking your next trip.

2. Use a VPN

VPNs are popular amongst those watching Netflix shows across countries or scammers pretending to be from a specific country.

They're also great for finding discounted flights.

When searching for flights, try this:

1. Search for a flight (ex. one way Boston -> Dublin).
2. Take note of the price
3. Change your VPN to Dublin
4. Check the price (Sometimes it changes)

Repeat steps 3 & 4 with a couple more locations.

Some recommended VPNs:

Note - this is not an affiliated ad. I simply love their service!

3. Search one ways

You may think you're saving money booking a round trip, but you're limiting the number of return flights you can select from to only the outgoing airline.

An even better tool specialized in searching for multiple-airline one way tickets is Kayak Hacker Fare

4. Use a flight searcher tool

There's a couple tools I recommend when looking for cheap flights:

I bounce around between these tools when searching. My personal favorite is Google Flights, but ALWAYS make sure to book directly via the airline. Use these tools for finding the flight, NOT booking.

Try different combinations and date ranges. All tools allow you to select a start date and then start to propose various dates with prices. Use the +1, +5 days to your advantage when searching.

Consider various airports within a couple hours drive.

5. Subscribe to flight email services (ex. Going)

If you are undecided on location, I recommend subscribing to a tool like Going (opens in a new tab), formerly Scott's Cheap Flights.

Essentially, you provide your email and home airports to fly out of. Going will send you emails with cheap flights to various destinations from your home airports.

They have a free tier as well as a paid one. Start with the free tier to see what it's like. If you plan on using the service, the paid plans (Premium & Elite) pay for itself. They're $49 and $199 a year. If they find you 1 flight that saves you $300, well there you go...

Note - this is not an affiliated ad. I simply love their service!

6. Enter multiple from airports

When searching on Google Flights, be sure to select multiple source airports. Include any that are within a drives distance. Maybe include locations where you've got friends and family who could house you for a night.

7. Open-ended Google Flights search

With our several airports selected, choose One Way & leave the where to & departure blank. Then search.

Now explore on the map, both in your country and even outside it. Look at all those cheap one ways...

Google, by default, will look in the next 6 months. You can tap that button and reduce to specific months from there.

8. Include a stopover

A A stopover refers to a break of 24 hours or more in a city before continuing to the final destination on an international flight, or a break exceeding 4 hours in the case of domestic flights.

Unlike a layover, which is just a brief interval between flights, a stopover allows travelers to leave the airport, explore the city, and immerse themselves in a new culture before resuming their journey.

Get 2 trips for the price of 1.

A site dedicated to helping find stopovers is air wanderer (opens in a new tab).

9. Book direct via budget airlines

Many countries around the world have budget airlines that won't show up in Google Flights, or similar tools.

You'll have to search directly with them, but they can offer incredible deals.

Here's a list of airlines by continent.

10. Skiplagged - Get off at the

Skiplagged (opens in a new tab) is a tool that searches for flights with connections from which your connection is the destination you're trying to get to.

Instead of getting off at the destination, you get off at the connection (which was your destination all along).

Airlines hate this and have actually sued Skiplagged (and lost).

Consider this scenario:

• Flight 1 - New York City -> Houston ($300)
• Flight 2 - New York City -> Houston -> Orlando ($250)

Airlines price flights like this if they know NYC -> Houston is for business, while NYC -> Orlando is most like leisure.

With Skiplagged, you'd book flight 2, but get off at your connection in Houston.

Top Reddit Posts

Reddit is a great resource for digital nomads to learn from others when booking flights. Here's some of my favorite posts to check out and read the comments.

Best Apps

Google Flights

Use Google Flights to explore cheap flights to anywhere. Search destinations and track prices to find and book your next flight.

Why use it?

• Can search multiple airlines
• Find date ranges that are cheaper

FAQ

Why do flight prices vary so much?

Airline ticket prices are influenced by various factors including the airline's pricing strategy, seat class, supply and demand, and seasonal changes. Prices can change frequently, making it challenging to find the best deals​​​​.

When is the best time to book a flight?

While there's no definitive rule, booking several months in advance, particularly in the off or shoulder seasons for international flights, is generally advisable. For domestic flights, setting up a price alert to track fare drops can be beneficial​​. Google Flights (opens in a new tab), Kiwi (opens in a new tab), & Skyscanner (opens in a new tab) all provide these services.

How can I find the cheapest flights?

Utilize flight comparison websites and apps to compare prices. Being flexible with your travel dates and considering weekdays or off-peak seasons can also lead to cheaper flights​​​​​​. If you don't already know of your destination, Going (opens in a new tab) can be a super useful servie to receive emails of discounted flights.

How can I get alerts for cheap flights?

Many travel search engines and airline websites allow you to set up price alerts, which notify you when the cost of a flight drops. This can save you money if you set it up early and respond quickly to fare reductions​​.