7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools

7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Master Google Flights Open-Jaw Search to Mix Airlines Between Los Angeles and Bangkok

Finding affordable flights to destinations like Bangkok from Los Angeles can be a challenge, but Google Flights offers a powerful tool to overcome this: the open-jaw search. This feature empowers you to craft unique travel experiences by flying into one city and out of another, which traditional roundtrip searches simply don't allow.

To leverage this, simply switch from the default roundtrip search to the multicity option within Google Flights. Then, you can input up to seven different airports, creating a wide range of potential travel combinations. The true power lies in mixing and matching airlines. You can potentially discover cheaper options, often called "Hacker Fares," by combining two one-way tickets from different carriers.

This flexibility extends to crafting more involved travel plans and allows you to search for optimal flight combinations across multiple destinations and date ranges. However, be prepared to adapt your exact travel dates and routes to maximize your savings. While Google Flights is a great starting point, comparing options across online travel agencies is wise to fully explore all available deals.

Open-jaw flights, where you fly into one city and return from another, are an interesting way to design more flexible trips. Google Flights makes it remarkably easy to explore these options through their multi-city search feature. It allows you to input multiple airports, separated by commas, giving you control over the starting and ending points of your journey. You'll want to remember that the multi-city option needs to be chosen explicitly—it's not the default. While seemingly straightforward, Google Flights can accommodate up to seven different departure or arrival cities within a single search, suggesting the potential to find really creative routes.


The beauty of this approach is that you can combine different airlines. Sometimes you might find that, on an open-jaw trip, combining different airlines can be considerably cheaper. This is often the result of "Hacker Fares", a term used by the travel industry. The algorithms used by these agencies essentially piece together individual one-way fares for different segments of a trip. You see, sometimes the prices between two destinations from two airlines, when pieced together, are far more attractive than any single airline's roundtrip fare.

It's important to be flexible with your dates and routes when using this method. Pricing can fluctuate quite dramatically. What's important is that you experiment with dates and airports to see if you can find a cheaper alternative. Prices may vary dramatically depending on what day or even time you fly, due to fluctuations in demand. You should compare what Google Flights proposes with other online travel agencies because these agencies have developed sophisticated algorithms for finding the best fare combinations. Using a combination of these search tools should result in better options.

What else is in this post?

1. 7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Master Google Flights Open-Jaw Search to Mix Airlines Between Los Angeles and Bangkok
2. 7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Save 40% Using Low-Cost Carriers Between European Cities During Winter Travel
3. 7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Track Pricing History Through Multi-City Tools for Better Deal Predictions
4. 7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Combine Multiple One-Way Tickets with Budget Airlines in Southeast Asia
5. 7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Use Airport Hub Combinations to Create Cheaper Round-The-World Routes
6. 7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Book Red-Eye Flights Between Major US Cities for Half Price
7. 7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Mix Legacy and Low-Cost Airlines for Trans-Atlantic Multi-City Routes

7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Save 40% Using Low-Cost Carriers Between European Cities During Winter Travel

Winter travel within Europe can be surprisingly affordable if you embrace the growing trend of low-cost carriers (LCCs). These budget airlines have reshaped the European travel landscape, offering significantly cheaper fares compared to traditional carriers. In many cases, you can save as much as 40% simply by opting for these airlines when planning your winter trips. While they often operate from secondary airports, this can actually be an advantage – less hustle and bustle, plus potentially lower airport fees.

Finding the best deals becomes much easier with the help of multi-city search tools. These tools allow you to experiment with various route combinations, making it simpler to compare prices and find options that best suit your travel plans. It's a particularly effective method when combined with the knowledge that winter flights often come with more competitive prices due to lower demand. You might be surprised by the destinations you can reach and the savings you can achieve by adopting this approach.

While the convenience of traditional airlines might be tempting, consider the substantial financial benefits of exploring the LCCs available. And keep in mind, tools that specialize in comparing budget fares can further enhance your search process. It's definitely worth dedicating some time to exploring the possibilities, especially if you're looking for a cost-effective winter getaway across Europe.

Budget airlines have fundamentally altered the landscape of European travel, especially during the winter months. These carriers offer a multitude of routes at considerably lower fares than traditional airlines, encompassing destinations across the UK, Germany, France, Turkey, and Scandinavia.

Winter travel often sees a significant reduction in demand, particularly for business trips, resulting in a potential 40% decrease in ticket prices when utilizing these low-cost alternatives. This seasonal drop in fares is further supported by studies indicating an average reduction of around 20-30% in airfares during the winter months. These trends make it a highly favorable time to explore European cities on a budget.

However, the lure of low base fares often comes with a caveat: strict baggage policies and associated fees. Travelers can often offset some of the initial cost savings by meticulously packing only hand luggage. It's worth noting that the frequency of flights on budget carriers can be lower than with mainline airlines, but their route networks frequently focus on popular connections, leading to the possibility of faster and more affordable connections within multi-city itineraries.

Many budget airlines operate a "unbundled" fare structure, where passengers pay only for the services they choose, such as preferred seating or expedited boarding. This approach, combined with the expanding route networks of several budget airlines throughout 2024, underscores the increasing consumer demand for affordable travel options.

Interestingly, the typical one-way fare on a budget airline in Europe hovers around €60, a testament to the intensely competitive nature of this market segment. Research suggests that mid-week flights, like Tuesday and Wednesday, can often be the cheapest, likely due to airline pricing strategies designed to fill seats during those typically slower periods. The use of dynamic pricing algorithms further adds to the complexity. These systems constantly adjust fares based on real-time demand, which means that travelers might occasionally snag last-minute deals if they are flexible and willing to consider less popular routes and travel on less busy days.

Beyond the obvious airfare reductions, winter travel presents a chance to encounter a range of seasonal culinary events that many European cities host. Pairing a budget-friendly flight with local food festivities can enhance the travel experience, providing a cultural immersion that goes beyond simply getting a cheap flight.

7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Track Pricing History Through Multi-City Tools for Better Deal Predictions

Understanding how airfares have changed over time through multi-city search tools can help you predict future prices and find better deals. Services like Google Flights and Hopper gather and analyze historical flight data, letting you identify trends and patterns. This ability to track price fluctuations for different routes, by inputting various starting and ending points, expands your options and allows you to pinpoint potentially better fares. By setting up alerts for flights you're interested in, you can stay on top of changing prices and react quickly to opportunities. This helps you identify ideal booking windows based on the data, making it much easier to snag last-minute flight bargains. Keeping an open mind about your dates and destinations is often rewarded with significantly better savings, which ultimately allows you to create a more fulfilling travel itinerary.

Following the price trends of flights across multiple cities can be a powerful way to improve the accuracy of your predictions for discovering affordable airfares. Several online platforms, such as Google Flights and Hopper, collect and analyze extensive amounts of flight pricing data, using this information to anticipate future changes in airfare.

For instance, Google Flights has a dedicated price tracking feature that allows users to set up alerts for specific routes. Users need a Gmail account to receive the notifications that inform them of any price changes. There are also other online services and specialized websites that offer alerts for last-minute flight deals, providing travelers a way to quickly capitalize on significant cost savings.

When utilizing these tools, users typically define their origin and destination airports, desired travel dates, and class of service (economy, business, etc.) to receive price updates. Websites such as Expedia also incorporate sophisticated technologies for tracking flight prices, contributing to the quest to uncover competitively priced airfare.

By tracking flight prices, travelers gain a valuable understanding of the historical patterns of airline pricing. This knowledge allows them to predict the ideal times to book flights to secure the best possible prices. Some tools, such as Hopper, provide a "watch" feature that pushes notifications to users whenever there are shifts in prices for their desired routes.

While there are numerous online travel agencies and sites that track fares, many of these tools are designed to examine a wide range of flight options from multiple airline and booking platforms. This can give travelers a much broader and more diverse range of price options and potential travel deals. However, there can be challenges with this approach, like ensuring the information is kept up-to-date and not showing obsolete results.

7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Combine Multiple One-Way Tickets with Budget Airlines in Southeast Asia

Finding cheap flights within Southeast Asia can be surprisingly easy if you're willing to be flexible and use budget airlines. Often, booking a combination of one-way tickets with different low-cost carriers can lead to lower overall costs than a traditional roundtrip or multi-city ticket. This method, sometimes called "Hacker Fare", involves carefully piecing together different flights from airlines like AirAsia and Scoot, who are known for their affordable base fares and frequent sales.

Specialized multi-city search tools are your best friends when hunting for these deals. They help you easily compare prices across multiple airlines and find the best possible combinations for your journey. You'll likely find more success if you're open to adjusting your travel dates and possibly even explore less popular routes. However, be mindful of extra costs for things like checked baggage, meals, and seat selection, as those can quickly eat into your savings if you're not careful about what you add to your booking.

While budget airlines often present a great value, they sometimes have stricter rules around luggage, particularly on international flights, and it's good to be aware of that before you book. It's all about maximizing your flexibility and exploring different options, which can ultimately lead to significantly lower travel costs when compared to traditional airline fares in Southeast Asia.

1. **Budget Airline Price Variations in Southeast Asia:** Airlines like AirAsia and Scoot, prevalent throughout Southeast Asia, frequently offer prices that can be significantly lower than traditional carriers, sometimes by as much as 60%, especially on popular routes. This is often a function of their business model, which seems to be centered around exploiting high demand during peak travel times but yielding excellent deals during the off-season.

2. **The "Hacker Fare" Strategy's Effectiveness**: Combining individual one-way tickets from different airlines, known as the "Hacker Fare" approach, can result in remarkable savings for travelers, often around 50%. This usually stems from the diverse pricing schemes that airlines employ when offering one-way versus roundtrip itineraries.


3. **Secondary Airports: A Hidden Cost Saver?**: Many budget carriers within Southeast Asia operate out of secondary airports. While these locations may be further from urban centers, they frequently come with lower airport fees. This can result in meaningful savings but requires factoring in potential extra travel time and costs to get into the city itself.

4. **Mid-Week Travel: A Clever Optimization**: It appears that flights scheduled for certain days of the week, particularly Tuesdays and Wednesdays, can be up to 30% cheaper than weekend flights. This offers an enticing incentive to be flexible with your travel days, which can lead to substantial savings when leveraging multiple budget airlines for a journey.


5. **Baggage Fees: Potential Deal Breaker?**: It's important to remember that low-cost carriers often have a system where they charge for additional services such as checked baggage, which can offset some of the low base fares. Data suggests that, on average, packing carefully and sticking to hand luggage can lead to savings of between $50 and $100 per passenger.

6. **Growing Route Networks for Budget Travel**: Budget airlines in Southeast Asia have dramatically expanded their route networks in recent years. This growth has also seen the opening of connections to relatively unexpected destinations. This expansion allows travelers to explore newer markets and tourist destinations at competitive prices, adding a new dimension to how to explore the region.

7. **The Complexities of Dynamic Pricing**: Similar to airlines in Europe, budget airlines in Southeast Asia use advanced pricing algorithms that react to real-time demand. This means that travelers might encounter last-minute deals or discounts, particularly when travel demand is lower.

8. **Multi-city Searches: Layovers as Travel Opportunities**: Multi-city search tools not only provide flight options but also the ability to explore layover destinations without significantly impacting the overall cost of travel. This can turn layovers into exciting side trips, allowing travelers to explore new places.

9. **Culinary Tourism Integration**: Southeast Asia is recognized for its incredibly diverse culinary scene, and the growth in this area often seems to align with the rise of budget travel. It's interesting to note that some of these budget airlines have even started to offer travel packages that integrate flights with food tours, catering to travelers who are looking for both great value and unique experiences.

10. **Destination-Specific Pricing Trends**: Different destinations within Southeast Asia can experience seasonality due to various regional events, such as festivals or public holidays. Travelers who are aware of these fluctuations in demand can align their travel plans with off-peak periods, leading to better prices and potentially a more rewarding experience.

7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Use Airport Hub Combinations to Create Cheaper Round-The-World Routes

When crafting a round-the-world itinerary, strategically using airport hubs can lead to significant cost savings. Airlines like Delta and American Airlines have built extensive hub networks, which often offer the most competitive prices for onward connections. It can be beneficial to mix and match airlines during your travels, as the major hubs are typically the starting point for some of the cheapest subsequent flights, allowing for potential fare combinations across carriers. This approach often unlocks hidden deals, and tools like CleverLayover are designed to help travelers pinpoint such opportunities by cleverly piecing together various flights to create cheaper itineraries.

Additionally, considering round-the-world tickets sold by airline alliances like OneWorld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam can be worthwhile, as they often offer pre-packaged pricing structures that can be more economical than purchasing individual flights. Airline alliances have varying pricing structures, and it's important to shop around to ensure you find the best value. While these alliance-based offerings can be convenient, remember that you might miss out on truly cheap fare combinations if you remain confined to a single alliance. It's a good idea to experiment with diverse combinations of airlines and routes.

The key to finding the best deals on global itineraries lies in having the willingness to flex your travel plans. Flexibility in dates and routes can have a huge impact on the price you pay, offering opportunities for potentially significant savings. It's important to constantly refine your itinerary as you find more deals until you land on a plan that both fits your budget and your overall travel objectives.

Central airport hubs, a concept gaining traction in the 1970s spearheaded by Delta at Atlanta's Hartsfield, have fundamentally altered how airlines operate, transitioning from direct flights to more centralized, hub-and-spoke models. These hubs, often acting as the primary point of connection for numerous routes, have become crucial to the lower-cost air travel market.

Interestingly, these large hubs, especially those of major airlines, tend to offer the most competitive pricing, particularly for connecting flights. As a result, booking a flight through a competitor that uses the same hub can sometimes uncover cheaper options than directly flying on a major airline. Similarly, simply searching for flights from these central airport hubs tends to result in better pricing because of this higher level of competition.

Tools like CleverLayover are starting to provide travelers with the ability to search for the cheapest routes combining airlines, regardless if they're formally partnered. Studies show these tools uncover a remarkable $200 in savings on one in three searches, revealing the hidden potential of combining non-partnered carriers.

A particularly interesting strategy that has emerged is the ability to book round-the-world tickets, which are usually much cheaper when booked as a package through global airline alliances instead of piecemeal with individual carriers. This approach usually yields a cheaper overall itinerary than booking individual flight segments. These major alliances, like OneWorld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance, offer variations in pricing based on their network, with OneWorld generally being the most competitive, based on latest pricing data in late 2024.

American Airlines, for example, operates a large network of US hubs, managing over 200 million passengers each year. Their extensive hub network promotes routing efficiency and contributes to its competitiveness in the airline fare marketplace. Delta Airlines, with its comprehensive network of hubs and focus cities, exemplifies how a large network can impact airfare affordability.

Multi-city search tools are crucial for uncovering opportunities, enabling travelers to optimize their travel itineraries. They allow you to evaluate multiple combinations and optimize for cheaper routes, increasing your odds of finding last-minute travel deals. The more options you have available, the higher the odds are of finding the best overall deal.

7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Book Red-Eye Flights Between Major US Cities for Half Price

Red-eye flights, those overnight journeys that depart late at night and arrive early in the morning, have become a popular choice for budget-conscious travelers, particularly those flying between major US hubs. The reason for their popularity is simple: they often come with a lower price tag compared to daytime flights. This makes them an attractive option for people who are more concerned with saving money than having a comfortable journey. Major US cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Atlanta have robust networks of red-eye flights, and even Southwest has expanded its offerings of these routes recently, potentially creating more opportunities for finding a good deal.

The downside, of course, is that red-eye flights can lead to tiredness upon arrival. The tradeoff for budget-minded travelers is getting a better deal while needing to factor in time to refresh upon landing, as these flights typically arrive in the early hours of the morning. It's worth considering if you value your comfort, or if you're happy to make a few compromises to get the lowest fare available. Nonetheless, a little preparation and some carefully packed toiletries can help alleviate the discomfort that accompanies a long overnight flight. Ultimately, the decision depends on your individual travel style and what you're prioritizing during your trip.

Red-eye flights, those late-night departures that arrive early the next morning, have historically been a staple for business travelers looking to maximize their day. The name itself stems from the tired, red-rimmed eyes of passengers who've sacrificed sleep for the sake of their schedule. These flights, typically operating between 10 PM and 7 AM local time, can offer significant cost savings compared to daytime flights, often making them an attractive choice for budget-conscious travelers.


It's not surprising that these flights are cheaper. Airline revenue management strategies often discount red-eye flights to fill seats during periods of lower demand. However, there are a few other factors that affect pricing beyond just supply and demand. For example, the time zone of departure seems to influence pricing. Flights departing from the east coast late in the evening may be less expensive to the west coast compared to flights at other times.

Some cultures may have a preference for night travel, and that could contribute to lower pricing. This might be less pronounced in the United States but is likely a bigger factor in other parts of the world. Interestingly, many of the routes that have these red-eye flights connect large hubs like Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO). Southwest Airlines has recently expanded the number of these routes, with a total of 20 routes now offering overnight flights.


It's worth noting that frequent red-eye travel might have some downsides. While there are cost benefits to red-eye flights, research shows they can be detrimental to your circadian rhythm. This might make you more fatigued, which could be problematic, especially when you arrive at your destination. There are also minor potential health risks associated with being still for long periods. It’s something that many seasoned travelers seem to overlook.

Airlines are increasingly offering discounts to loyalty members. Many of the larger carriers and even smaller players like Southwest have programs that offer reduced fares on these flights. So, if you fly often, it might be worth investigating a loyalty program. These flights also tend to be less popular during certain times of year, like winter or fall, so you might find more deals at these times. While many airline websites have features that allow you to set up notifications for changes, it is probably worth using multiple tools to make sure you don't miss anything.


Airlines, being businesses, are always looking to manipulate the customer into making a decision that's beneficial to the bottom line. That includes using pricing techniques to make some flights look more attractive than others. These are referred to as psychological pricing tactics. One of the most common strategies is to end prices in 9 or 5. So, it's worth keeping an eye out for those kinds of prices when considering a red-eye flight.

Beyond simply saving money, booking a multi-city itinerary with red-eye flights opens opportunities for fun layovers in a major hub at no additional cost. While these flights aren't for everyone, they can be a great way to save money and expand your travel itinerary. You should be prepared for some disruption to your normal sleep cycle. But if you're willing to make some minor adjustments, a red-eye flight could be a great way to save some money and get to your destination without spending a fortune.

7 Proven Strategies to Find Last-Minute Flight Deals Using Multi-City Search Tools - Mix Legacy and Low-Cost Airlines for Trans-Atlantic Multi-City Routes

The landscape of transatlantic travel is shifting with a blend of established and budget-focused airlines introducing new routes and fares. Airlines like JetBlue and Frenchbee are carving out a niche by offering competitive prices on sought-after transatlantic routes. Meanwhile, airlines like Condor, established for decades, are expanding their offerings to North America and other low-cost carriers like Fly Atlantic are emerging. This dynamic environment presents an opportunity for travelers to leverage a mix of legacy and low-cost carriers for their multi-city travel plans. This "hybrid" approach can create attractive multi-city travel routes that are less expensive, giving travelers the freedom to construct more personalized and varied itineraries. It's crucial to stay mindful of potential added costs associated with lower-priced tickets, particularly with low-cost carriers. This awareness is key to maximizing your savings and overall travel enjoyment across your chosen destinations. While budget carriers typically provide fewer perks, savvy travelers can enjoy the advantages of legacy airlines when needed and still capitalize on low-cost carriers for the price-sensitive parts of a journey.

The transatlantic flight market has become increasingly dynamic, with both established airlines and new low-cost carriers competing for passengers. This shift in the landscape presents interesting opportunities for travelers who are willing to be flexible and explore diverse options.

One notable trend is the rise of low-cost carriers (LCCs) on transatlantic routes. Airlines like Condor, JetBlue, and Frenchbee have expanded their operations across the Atlantic, offering attractive prices that can be significantly lower than what traditional airlines charge. This competition is partly a response to the collapse of WOW Air, a low-cost carrier that operated from Iceland before ceasing operations. Now, the field is more contested than ever. In the summer, up to eight LCCs might be vying for your attention.

However, this development isn't a complete shift from legacy airlines. Rather, there's a growing trend to combine both types of airlines to craft multi-city itineraries. Essentially, travelers can leverage the benefits of legacy carriers for some segments of their trip and low-cost carriers for others. This approach has been dubbed a "mix-and-match" strategy, leveraging the variations in airline pricing schemes. For example, JetBlue's transatlantic offerings highlight how even large airlines now employ low-cost tactics, offering fares that start from as low as $599.

One of the key aspects of this new approach is the use of widebody aircraft for long-haul flights. LCCs have embraced models like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which contribute to operational efficiencies that can be passed along to the customer. It seems that airlines are increasingly optimizing their route networks and operational strategies to accommodate a growing focus on low-cost travel.

This mixing and matching strategy can unlock significant savings for passengers. While the exact savings are variable, research indicates that, when done effectively, mixing airlines can result in savings of up to 50% over a traditional multi-city ticket on the same route.

It's important to remember that when mixing airlines, you need to factor in any extra costs, such as baggage fees, that might apply. This is particularly important when flying with LCCs. However, with careful planning, this strategy can indeed lead to significant cost savings. The overall ticket price depends on several variables, such as the time of booking, the specific routes you choose, and the day of the week you are flying. It seems that the best booking windows range from 56 to 100 days before departure, but last-minute deals can yield significant savings if you are flexible and willing to jump on an opportunity.

This new approach to booking air travel creates several interesting challenges for airlines and the travel industry. The traditional airline model with a clearly delineated set of service options has been challenged by airlines that are increasingly blurring the lines between legacy and low-cost operations. Airlines need to adapt to changing consumer behavior, where there's a focus on price, rather than just a high level of service or convenient connections at major hubs. The result of these innovations could be an even more dynamic flight marketplace with potentially lower prices for many travelers.