The moment you figure out that you really can book $200 round-trip tickets to Europe, your life changes forever. The idea of travel becomes less a question of 'how' and more a matter of 'Where to?' Start spreading the news—it's never been cheaper to fly, and with a minimal amount of work, you can cash in. It's a matter of decoding airline jargon, doing some pre-planning, and getting acquainted with OTAs. Here, we answer all your questions about how to find cheap flights.
'Cheap' is always relative, depending on your budget and needs, but we have a few guidelines in the Traveler office for what counts as a good deal from the U.S. Flights to Europe at or under $400 round-trip are a go. Getting to Northern Africa for less than $500 is a steal. Round-trips to South America at or under $500 are also great, a number that applies to flights to Asia, too. Going farther afield, anything under $1,000 is a stellar deal for southern Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. That said, if you see a flight that's cheap enough to make you want to book, go for it. The 'grass is greener, flight is cheaper' mentality of waiting for the least expensive flight will make you miss out on some great (and yes, cheap) flights.
This one's simple on the surface: Use points. It's the earning of those points that can seem complicated and overwhelming. While our best advice is to pick an airline and stick with it, as best you can, finding the perfect frequent flier program requires a little researching, and asking yourself three questions. How easy is it to earn points? (The quicker you earn, the quicker you can spend.) Where do this airline fly? (You want access to places you actually want to go.) And how easy it is to spend your points? (There's no need to complicate this.) While there's no one-size-fits-all airline rewards program, we have a few U.S.-based favorites:
Read more about the best frequent flier and airline rewards programs in the U.S.
Despite persistent (and conflicting!) myths, there really is no one magic day to book plane tickets. But reliable studies show that one of the best days to buy tickets is Sunday, especially if it's more than 21 days before your trip, and prices on domestic flights dip mid-week, around Tuesday or Wednesday, because there's less demand for business travel.
Read more about the 'cheapest day to book' myth.
To find cheap flights, price trackers are the ultimate tool—just search once, and you can be done. Using services like Google Flights, Hopper, or Kayak, you can set an unlimited number of price alerts for countless destinations. You'd could set alerts and receive emails about every place you're considering for your next vacation, and if one of them miraculously drops below your price threshold, you'll be notified. Sometimes the dream destinations are cheaper than a flight one state over.
Read more about price trackers.
If you don't want to put in the leg work, you can let the deals come to you. Condé Nast Traveler shares many of the best flight deals on social media, but for those even more obsessed, it's hard to beat the convenience of flight deal blogs like Scott's Cheap Flights, Airfarewatchdog, SecretFlying, and TheFlightDeal, which are constantly posting deals from around the world. Follow them on social media or sign up for their newsletters.
Google Flights, Expedia, Kayak, and Priceline are all reliable search sources, and will direct you to the airline's site or a third party to book the ticket. Though it may not be the ideal, if you have flexible dates or can fly out of nearby airports (rather than your home base) you can usually find a great deal. Many search sites like Google Flights allow you to browse prices for an entire calendar month at a time. By searching nearby airports—say, arrive at London Gatwick instead of Heathrow—you may be able to save hundreds.
Most booking sites will offer the same price, but some don't have access to tickets from certain airlines. Before entering those credit card details, be sure to search directly on airline sites, remembering that some carriers like Southwest don't sell their tickets on third-party sites like Kayak. Comparing is the best way to save.
One of the reasons why Southwest doesn't offer its fares on online travel agents (OTAs) is important: Should your flight get canceled or you need to change or cancel your itinerary, all customer service will go through the OTA and not the airline you're flying. Big name OTAs—Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline, etc.— have been around long enough to have strong customer service that usually won't derail your trip. But be more cautious with OTAs you haven't heard of before—and read the fine print—as there may be heavy change fees involved that wouldn't apply if you booked directly with the airline. (The real time to use OTAs is when you have a complex or multi-destination itinerary, one that requires multiple airlines and would be impossible to book on one airline's site.)
Read more about the best Google Flight hacks.
The single best way to know a good deal is to periodically search a specific route, getting a feel for what a readily, widely available price often looks like. By putting in this little bit of legwork, you'll recognize an excellent fare when one (inevitably) pops up. Many deals last fewer than 24 hours, so booking quickly is essential. Be that annoying friend who calls persistently until someone can confirm their dates and get it booked—you may never see a fare that low again.
If you book a flight and realize it's not what you want after all, don't worry. If booked more than seven days ahead of departure, all flights out of the U.S. offer a 24-hour hold or cancellation policy. In plain English: You'll get all your money back if you change your mind on that trip to Zanzibar within 24 hours of booking. With this safety net, you can jump on the very best deals without fear, knowing that if plans crumble, you'll get your money back—at the very least.
The cheapest flights are often basic economy fares, especially on domestic carriers. They offer travelers the chance to skip out on things usually included in a traditional fare, like access to the overhead bins, the cost to carry on, seat assignments, and even printing your boarding pass at the airport; each of those counts as an add-on, and comes with a fee attached. Each airline has a very different system, so read the fine print (or our guide to basic economy before booking. Google Flights will let you know whether or not you flight is basic economy, but not until you're right about to book, so keep an eye out for the gray label when you get to the pricing page.
Read more about how every major U.S. airlines' basic economy compares.
We have lots of thoughts about airlines like Norwegian, Spirit, RyanAir, and Wow Air. But sometimes, those $69 transatlantic flights are just too good to pass up. The key here is to keep an eye out for fees, since most of these airlines run unbundled fares that tack on fees quicker than basic economy, where everything from meals to seat selection to carry-on luggage costs extra. Those fees can add up—and make the budget flight cost more than a traditional flight—so read the fine print (again), think through what you're willing to sacrifice to save, and do the math before you book. If it's still a deal, and you're comfortable with the experience you've selected (or not), go ahead and book it. It won't be first class, but it'll get you where you want to go.
Read more about the budget airlines we actually fly.
A mistake fare—like dropping a zero so a $1,540 round-trip flight suddenly costs just $154—usually comes from human error. Sometimes, it means the same price is available from nearly every departure city—like $500 round-trip from the entire U.S. to Australia. (In our dreams!) There are three things to know about mistake fares: They're rare, fleeting, and, most importantly, don't have to be honored. If truly an accident, the airline can backpedal, cancel your ticket, and refund you. So if you see a wildly inexpensive fare on one of the deal sites, book it ASAP—they usually only last a few hours, max—and hold off on reserving any additional activities or accommodation until you have a ticket number or booking reference from the airline. (It can take up to a week.) Once you're a confirmed passenger, go wild.
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