Photo by John McArthur on Unsplash
Fly with me, come fly with me, let’s fly away. Like Frank Sinatra, airlines across the country pine for you to join them in the sky. But you don’t have to accept just any of their offers. Right now, there are inexpensive flights revved and ready to whisk you away—you just have to know where to find them. We’re here to help. Keep reading for our insider secrets to finding the cheapest airfare every time you fly.
Sign Up to Go Up
First things first, you must be willing to sign up for the email lists of carriers and travel websites. These flight providers will tell you right away when they’ve got flights to fill, off-season discounts, last-minute deals, price alerts, and unbeatable travel packages.
To ensure you don’t miss their best-priced flights, flag their emails as important, not spam or junk. Then check your inbox regularly, as some of the deals are only offered for a very limited time. On top of being the first to know about cheap flights, when you join these carriers and online travel agency email lists, you may receive additional discounts as thanks for signing up.
Join the email lists of these travel agencies and carriers:
Google It
Receiving and reading your updates from this list of online travel agencies (OTAs) and airline carriers will put you ahead of the rest when it comes to grabbing cheap deals. But not all the deals will align with some of your travel needs. When you need to go to a specific destination during a specific set of dates, look no further than Google Flights to find the cheapest airfare. Why Google Flights? Google Flights, powered by the search engine we know and love, is not an OTA but a search tool.
Google Flights will search the entire internet for the flight you need at the best price, just like Google will search your terms and questions. The tool will generate lists of flight options that you can sort by price and almost always book within Google Flights. It’s important to note some carriers, like Southwest Airlines, do not list their flights with Google Flights. You’ll have to go directly to Southwest to search for their availability.
Speaking of Southwest Airlines, the airline will get you to more than 100 destinations in 42 states, plus Puerto Rico, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. That said, make sure you check out their Low Fares Calendar to see if they’ve got a deal you need. It’s super easy to search up your destination by date, after which Southwest will generate a list of their lowest fares.
Secret How-To’s
Now there are a couple of secrets we haven’t revealed, so listen closely. The following tips aren’t about where to look for your cheapest flights but how to find them.
- Go incognito. Online travel agencies and airline websites save your previous search history and cookies tied to your browser. After seeing you’ve searched for a flight a few times, the sites start flagging that flight as “only 2 seats left” while increasing the price to create a sense of urgency so you purchase the ticket. If you’re in incognito mode, you can avoid the tracking and hopefully avoid the price hikes.
- If you’re traveling in a group, search and book flights as if you’re traveling alone. When you book multiple tickets, you will be charged the same price for each ticket. If there are not enough of the cheapest seats to cover each member of your group, the airline will charge you the rate of the seat that accommodates your party size. While you may not get to sit by everyone in your group, you will save money purchasing your tickets as separate transactions.
- Plan ahead. The best time to book travel that must be taken during a specific set of dates is about two months in advance. Rates are most affordable when booked 45 – 60 days ahead of departure.
- Don’t just visit the online travel agency and airline websites; follow them on social media. Like most major retailers, these businesses alert followers about specials and discounts through their social media posts.
Affordable flights are out there, and what we’ve shared here helps make them much easier to find. Remember, you don’t have to book the first flight you see. Set yourself up for cheaper flight success by signing up for emails, following the flight providers on social media, and searching smart. For more on the under-belly of ticket prices, head over to Simple Flying to learn about how online airline ticket pricing works.