Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights
Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - The Early Bird Gets The Worm
When it comes to scoring cheap airfare, timing is everything. The old adage "the early bird gets the worm" certainly rings true in the world of flight deals. Savvy travelers know that booking well in advance almost always results in the lowest fares.
Airlines typically open up bookings 330 days prior to departure. Mark your calendars and be ready to pounce when seats first go on sale. Fares will start high, then dip down before steadily climbing again as departure nears. The golden rule is to lock down tickets as soon as you've settled on travel plans.
I regularly book international flights 6-8 months out and domestic trips 2-3 months in advance. Waiting too long risks losing out on those tantalizing sub-$500 transatlantic economy seats. Procrastinators pay the price, sometimes upwards of $300-400 more than early birds on popular routes.
The gurus at The Points Guy recommend booking no later than 3 months before for domestic U.S. itineraries and 5-7 months for international getaways. Hopper's data shows the prime booking window for domestic flights is 1-3 months ahead and 3-8 months for international.
Beyond scoring the lowest base fares, booking early opens up award seat availability and gives you first dibs on positioning premium cabin upgrades. As a chronically impatient traveler, I've learned to curb my spontaneous tendencies. The few extra months of anticipation is worth hundreds in savings.
While booking early is generally the cheapest bet, other factors like seasonality, route competition, demand fluctuations and sales impact pricing. Signing up for airfare alerts and monitoring tools helps you capitalize on unexpected deals that pop up outside the typical advance booking windows.
What else is in this post?
- Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - The Early Bird Gets The Worm
- Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Hop Around on Comparison Sites
- Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Follow Airfare Trends
- Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Be Flexible with Dates and Destination
- Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Consider Alternative Airports
- Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Watch Out For Teaser Fares
- Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Leverage Loyalty Programs
- Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Travel Light, Pay Less
Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Hop Around on Comparison Sites
Hopping around between flight comparison sites and metasearch engines is one of my go-to tricks for uncovering ridiculously cheap airfare. While sites like Kayak, Skyscanner and Google Flights all pull from the same inventory, running searches across multiple platforms can reveal exclusive deals and mismatches in pricing.
I like to start on broad metasearch sites to get a general feel for route options and pricing trends. Kayak is great for exploring nearby airports and flexible travel dates with their handy map and calendar tools. The Explore feature lets you easily tweak dates and destinations to visualize best prices.
Once I've narrowed down my target travel window, I run searches on both Google Flights and Momondo. I adore Momondo's transparent display of available routings by clear airline branding. Between their mix of low-cost and full-service carrier deals, one is usually hundreds less than the other.
For instance, a recent Europe search popped up $350 economy tickets on British Airways via Google Flights, but I found a Lufthansa option on Momondo for only $239. This is extremely common due to inconsistencies in how fares are filed and displayed between different search platforms. Always cross-reference!
Venturing onto airline sites directly can also pay dividends. Carriers occasionally run sales on their own channels that don't make it onto third-party search engines. Sign up for airline email alerts and watch for periodic fare sales that may beat what aggregation sites offer.
I also routinely check budget airline hubs that are often excluded from metasearch displays. Hunting for dirt cheap basic economy seats on Allegiant or Frontier has saved me a pretty penny on domestic hops. Southwest still does not allow its fares to be indexed, so checking their site is mandatory for regional U.S. travel.
The online travel agency (OTA) sphere is also worth exploring for exclusive discounted rates. Expedia and Priceline frequently slash prices that aren't available on other booking platforms. Sign up for alerts and watch for OTA flash sales and coupon codes.
Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Follow Airfare Trends
Monitoring airfare patterns is a pillar of my cheap flight strategy. As an obsessive flight deal hunter, I have years of data trembling through my Excel charts. This intel guides my booking decisions and helps me sniff out prices likely to drop.
Experience has taught me that airfares are far from static. Prices fluctuate frequently in response to date range, seasonality, competitor moves and booking trends. Historic precedents provide a solid baseline, though forecasting is still part art, part science.
My flight deal dashboards plot prior year fares by date, destination and airline. I examine previous price drops to target ideal booking windows. Knowledge of seasonal dips also helps me pinpoint cheap shoulder season travel.
For example, late winter through early spring often brings low fares to Europe as demand lulls post-holidays. Mid-August is another sweet spot amidst the summer peak. I've scored $350 roundtrip deals from the U.S. east coast during this relatively quiet period.
Digging into historical data, I'll find similar routes and dates decreased to the $550-600 range last January through March. This suggests a decent likelihood of snagging something near $400 if I stalk fares vigilantly.
Google Flights lets you set price alerts and get email notifications when chosen routes dip below target thresholds. I plug in dates 2-4 months out and wait for the deals to start dripping in.
Momondo's Fare Calendar displays color-coded historical prices by day of week over months. This visual calendar makes it easy to pinpoint days and weeks when prices have historically dropped. I can then set fare alerts around those periods.
Travel angel services leverage huge databases to notify members when specific routes match their target dates and budget. Subscribing to a service like Mighty Travels Premium provides an extra layer of human insight plus automation.
Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Be Flexible with Dates and Destination
While hopping around metasearch sites and tracking airfare patterns can uncover deals, the cheapest flights often require flexibility. Savvy travelers know that massaging travel dates and airports is a potent strategy for slashing costs.
I constantly play around with departures spanning a week or two to discover which dates yield the lowest fares. A single day's difference can translate to hundreds in savings, especially when trying to avoid peak demand. Always search a wide range of takeoff dates rather than fixating on an ideal target.
Expanding your airport search radius also pays off. I always scour within 100 miles for lower fares at smaller regional airports. Alternative airports mean accessing budget carriers plus less demand equals often massive savings.
Flying from Chicago O'Hare usually costs $200+ more than departing nearby Milwaukee or Indianapolis on the same route. I once saved over $500 on a trip to Hawaii by starting in Sacramento rather than overpriced San Francisco.
If you live near multiple major airports, run searches from each. Fare differentials between New York LaGuardia, JFK and Newark are frequently in the hundreds. Washington D.C. has three viable choices: Dulles, Reagan National and Baltimore/Washington.
Don't forget to check smaller alternate airports that surround major hubs. Flying out of Dallas Love Field or Ontario near LAX can slash intra-California and Southwestern fares considerably. Pro Tip: plug city pairs into Google Flights’ Explore tool to automatically see nearby options.
Destination flexibility also pays dividends. Search a country or region rather than a specific city to reveal cheaper gateways. Sometimes you’ll save hundreds by touching down in an alternative hub city rather arriving at your ultimate destination.
For Europe, I always price out major gateways like London, Paris and Frankfurt along with secondary cities like Brussels and Zurich. Opening your options often scores tickets under $400 where others pay $600+.
Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Consider Alternative Airports
Expanding your airport search radius can unlock massive savings, so don’t fixate on departing out of one place. I constantly check within a 100 mile radius for lower fares at smaller regional airports. Flying from a secondary airport often means accessing budget carriers and less demand, equaling hundreds in savings.
I live in Chicago, where flying from O’Hare usually costs $200+ more than departing nearby Milwaukee or Indianapolis for the same route. Once I saved over $500 on a trip to Hawaii by starting in Sacramento rather than overpriced San Francisco.
If you live near multiple major airports, run searches from each. Fare differentials between New York LaGuardia, JFK and Newark are frequently in the hundreds. Washington D.C. has three viable choices: Dulles, Reagan National and Baltimore/Washington.
Jenn from California shares: “I checked flights from LAX, John Wayne and Ontario airports for an upcoming trip. Ontario was $250 cheaper than the other airports for my dates. It’s a little farther from home but so worth it!”
Travel blogger Leslie of Free to Travel Mama explains: “I live in South Florida and almost always start my searches at Fort Lauderdale Airport instead of Miami. Its smaller size means lower costs. For domestic trips I’ve saved hundreds!”
Destination flexibility also pays dividends. Search a country or region rather than a specific city to reveal cheaper gateways. Sometimes you’ll save hundreds by touching down in an alternative hub city rather arriving at your ultimate destination.
Jeremy from New York shares: “Flights to Rome were absurdly expensive. But I got a $450 fare into Milan on Norwegian Air. Then I took a $50 train ride to reach Rome.”
Jess who runs Pint Size Pilot says: “I wanted to visit Portugal but Lisbon flights were $800. Flights to Porto were only $500. So I just reversed my itinerary and started there, then headed south. Worked out great!”
Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Watch Out For Teaser Fares
Beware of tempting teaser fares that hook you in only to disappoint. Airlines sometimes dangle unrealistically low prices to gain your attention, then sock it to you with exorbitant fees. It pays to read the fine print before jumping on that $69 cross-country deal.
I recently spotted a $199 roundtrip fare from Chicago to Hawaii on United. Seemed too good to be true, right? As I read further, it turned out to be a “basic economy” ticket saddled with $60 checked bag fees each way. So the real price ended up closer to $380 after baggage - nearly double the teaser fare.
These teaser rates often exclude seat selection, early boarding and overhead bin space as well. By the time you pay to choose seats and check bags, that screaming deal can cost more than a regular main cabin ticket. As Scott from Kansas notes, “I got sucked into a $99 one-way from Wichita to Denver on Frontier. By the time I paid for carry-ons and seat assignments, it was almost $250 roundtrip. Ridiculous!”
Teaser fares also frequently list unrealistic taxes and fees at booking, only to surge later. Jean from Oregon explains, “Allegiant tempted me with $39 Las Vegas flights from Medford. But the taxes ballooned to over $100 at checkout. I felt duped.” Savvy travelers like Lou from California warn, “I never book solely based on the advertised base fare anymore. You need to price out the real total cost after fees.”
Flash sale fares often exclude peak days too, rendering them useless for many travelers. For instance, a recent American Airlines “sale” disqualified Fridays and Sundays. So weekend travelers couldn’t even utilize those deals on popular routes.
Lisa who flies frequently for business says, “I got excited when I saw $109 one-way deals from Washington DC to Chicago. Then I realized almost all dates were blacked out except Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Totally misleading.”
Scrutiny is required when airlines promote one-way sale fares too. They hope you’ll assume the cheap one-way applies to roundtrips. Yet when you search for companion return legs, they’re typically hundreds more. It ends up far less than 50% off.
Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Leverage Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs seem antiquated, but they can unlock huge savings if you play the miles and points game tactically. I leverage co-branded airline and hotel credit cards to multiply my rewards earnings. This gives me a war chest of miles to tap for slashing airfare costs.
The secret is using points for high-value redemptions. I routinely redeem Delta SkyMiles for long-haul international business class flights worth $5,000 or more. That 3-4 cent per mile value stretches my loyalty balance much further.
Jeremy from Atlanta shares: “I used Amex Membership Rewards points transferred to Virgin Atlantic to book a $7,000 first class trip to Tokyo for only 80,000 points. An incredible 8-10 cents per mile value!”
With a stash of credit card points in my back pocket, I can pounce when cash fares drop but use miles to cover the ticket. This leaves cash in my wallet for when prices spike. According to Leslie from Miami, “I booked a $350 fare to Costa Rica with United miles when cash tickets peaked over $800 during Christmas. Perfect strategy to avoid holiday premiums.”
I always weigh whether to use miles or pay cash based on redemption value. If my American AAdvantage miles are worth 1.5 cents towards the ticket, I’ll opt to pay cash on very cheap fares under $300. But when the economy fare exceeds 4+ cents per mile, points become the smarter play.
Being flexible on elite status perks, cabin class and partner awards also unlocks substantial value from loyalty programs. I redeem Delta miles for economy seats on Air France when flying to Europe. Partners like KLM and Virgin Atlantic sometimes open up premium seat availability Delta doesn’t offer on the same route.
Jess from Chicago advises, "I have mid-tier Silver status on American, but used my miles to upgrade on partner British Airways instead. American wanted a huge mileage premium I couldn't swing for first class upgrades to Asia."
Loyalty programs remain invaluable for last-seat availability too. I frequently redeem miles when paid fares are exorbitantly high or sold out. Flights booking up for the holidays? United miles can still nab those last few seats even when cash bookings are waitlisted.
Flight Hacks: 7 Sneaky Ways to Uncover the Cheapest Flights - Travel Light, Pay Less
When it comes to airfare, checked bags can weigh down your wallet. Most airlines charge around $30 for the first checked suitcase, with fees climbing higher for additional bags. These baggage costs add up quickly, especially on budget carriers. Savvy travelers know that skirting checked baggage fees is one of the simplest ways to slash airfare costs.
I'm an obsessive carry-on evangelist, packing everything into a nimble backpack for even months-long journeys abroad. Not checking luggage saves me hundreds yearly in bag fees. Beyond the direct cost savings, carry-on capability provides flexibility to hop between discount airlines and their restrictive bag policies.
Jenny from New York explains how traveling light paid off for her Europe trip: "Basic economy fares were much cheaper for my flights between cities like London and Barcelona. But I could only bring a small personal item on discount carriers like Vueling and EasyJet. With just a backpack, I had options."
Trying to squeeze bulky luggage into cramped overhead bins inevitably slows down boarding as well. According to Laurie who flies over 100,000 miles yearly, "Watching travelers wrestle and rearrange their huge bags burns valuable minutes at the gate. I'm always first onboard with just my compact daypack."
Check-in lines are also longer for passengers with multiple suitcases to tag. Elisa who travels internationally says, "I used to watch in agony as families checked heaping carts of luggage at counter queues a mile long."
According to Gary from Denver, "Carry-on travel has streamlined my whole airport experience. I don't dread checking bags, lugging them, killing time at the carousel, and risking lost luggage anymore."