Cheap Flights, Big Dreams: Insider Secrets to Finding the Lowest Airfare

Secrets to Finding the Lowest Airfare

1. Be Flexible with Your Travel Dates (Seriously, It Matters)

This is the golden rule of cheap flight hunting: flexibility is king. Airlines price tickets based on demand. Flights on Fridays and Sundays? Usually more expensive. Tuesdays and Wednesdays? Often much cheaper. If you can fly mid-week or during shoulder seasons (like April-May or September-October), you’ll often find significantly lower fares.
Use fare comparison tools like Google Flights, Skyscanner, or Momondo to search with flexible dates. These platforms allow you to view entire months of prices, making it easy to spot the cheapest departure and return combinations.

2. Use Flight Search Engines That Do the Heavy Lifting

Not all flight search engines are created equal. Some, like Expedia or Priceline, don’t show prices from budget airlines like Southwest or hidden fare deals. Instead, lean into tools built for bargain hunters:

• Google Flights: Great for exploring destinations and tracking prices over time.
• Skyscanner: Ideal for international flights and the “Everywhere” feature if you're open-minded.
• Momondo: Excellent for finding lesser-known online travel agencies (OTAs) with slightly lower prices.
• Hopper: Predicts whether prices will go up or down and advises when to book.

Pro Tip: Always double-check the price directly on the airline's website after finding it on a search engine. You might get the same or even better price, and you’ll avoid third-party booking issues.

3. Set Price Alerts and Stalk Your Flights

If you know where and when you want to go, don’t book impulsively. Instead, set up price alerts. Most major search engines let you track a specific route and send you notifications when the fare drops.
Use this to your advantage—start monitoring prices at least 1-2 months in advance for domestic trips and 3-6 months for international ones. And don’t be surprised if prices fluctuate wildly. That’s normal. Wait for the dip.

4. Play Around with Nearby Airports

Let’s say you’re flying to New York. You’ve been checking JFK, but flights are sky-high. Have you looked at Newark or LaGuardia? Often, flying into a smaller or alternative airport just outside your target city can shave hundreds off your ticket.
This also works on the departure side. If you live within a few hours of multiple airports, check them all. A short drive or a bus ride could make a big difference in airfare.

5. Try the “Hidden City” Hack (with Caution)

Hidden city ticketing is a controversial but often effective tactic. Here’s how it works: You book a flight where your actual destination is a layover point. For example, if you want to go to Chicago, you book a flight from New York to Denver with a layover in Chicago, and simply get off in Chicago.
Sites like Skiplagged specialize in this kind of hack. But beware: airlines don’t love this trick, and doing it often could get you flagged or even banned from frequent flyer programs. Also, this only works with carry-on luggage—your checked bag will go to the final destination.

6. Clear Your Cookies or Use Incognito Mode

Ever noticed that flight prices seem to creep up after you’ve searched the same route a few times? It’s not just your imagination. While the evidence is mixed, some travelers swear that travel sites track your searches and raise prices to pressure you into booking.
To play it safe, search in incognito or private browsing mode. Also, try checking on different devices or from different IP addresses. Sometimes, location-based pricing leads to surprising fare differences.

7. Book at the Right Time (But Don’t Stress Over It Too Much)

There’s a long-standing myth that Tuesday at 3 a.m. is the best time to book flights. In truth, the best time to book depends on where you’re going and when.
Studies from sources like CheapAir.com suggest that booking around 76 days in advance for domestic flights and around 6 months ahead for international trips gives you the best odds of getting a deal. That said, extreme last-minute deals can still happen—but they’re rare and risky if your dates aren’t flexible.

8. Consider Budget Airlines—But Read the Fine Print

Low-cost carriers like Spirit, Frontier, Ryanair, and Wizz Air offer eye-poppingly low base fares. But the catch is in the extras—bags, seat selection, even water on some airlines can cost extra. Still, if you’re a light packer and don’t mind flying bare-bones, you can save big.
Just make sure to compare the total cost (fare + fees) with traditional airlines before you book.

9. Use Points and Miles (Even if You're Not a Frequent Flyer)

Credit card points and airline miles aren’t just for jet-setting executives. Even casual travelers can rack up points with the right travel credit card and use them for free or discounted flights.
Look into sign-up bonuses from cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture. Many offer enough points for a roundtrip flight just for spending a certain amount in the first few months.

10. Follow Airfare Deal Accounts and Newsletters

Let others do the work for you! There are entire websites and newsletters dedicated to scouring the internet for airfare deals and mistake fares:

• Scott’s Cheap Flights (now called Going.com)
• Thrifty Traveler
• Secret Flying
• The Flight Deal

Follow them on social or subscribe to email alerts—you’ll be amazed at some of the jaw-dropping fares they uncover.

Final Thoughts

Cheap flights aren’t just for the lucky or the obsessively frugal. With a little know-how and a lot of flexibility, you can stretch your travel budget and make those passport stamps stack up faster than you ever thought possible. Remember, every dollar you save on airfare is a dollar you can spend on experiences that make travel truly unforgettable—like sipping espresso in Rome or hiking through a Thai jungle.

So go ahead, dream big and fly cheap. The world is waiting.