Updated on November 9, 2021
Now that the possibility of travel is well and truly on the horizon, avid travellers are starting to indulge in one of their favourite pastimes again: hunting for airfare bargains.
According to data from Kayak, flight searches are slowly starting to rise and rebound. As travel restrictions begin to ease in certain parts of the world — and with many airline carriers now offering flexible booking options — more and more people are searching for flight deals for their future adventures.
There’s no doubt that stellar bargains are out there — you just need to know where and how to find them. Below, we’re sharing our top tips for finding the best flight deals every time.
1. Use the best flight search engines
If you haven’t already, start getting acquainted with tools like Skyscanner and Google Flights for all your airfare searching needs. These aggregators allow you to search and compare routes and prices from hundreds of airlines — including major and budget carriers — all in one place.
There are plenty of sites to choose from, but in terms of ease of usability and standout features, here are a few of the best flight search engines out there:
Each site has its own set of pros and cons, but if I had to choose just one out of this bunch, I’d say start with Skyscanner. If you’re keen to find the absolute best deals, consider using all three to maximise your chances of scoring a great deal.
While you’re searching for flights, don’t forget to take advantage of the unique and useful features these sites offer, from price prediction to email fare alerts and more.
Momondo’s ranking system (which grades each route with a score out of 10) is great if you want to find the best itinerary, while Google Flights’ Explore Map lets you see all the places you can go displayed on a handy map.
2. Scope out special deals
If you really want to increase your chances of finding the biggest bargains out there, consider signing up for flight deal newsletters and browse dedicated flight deal websites.
Don’t want to spend hours scouring the internet for deals? No problem! There are plenty of websites that take care of all the legwork for you. Secret Flying, Scott’s Cheap Flights, and Airfarewatchdog are a few examples of sites that highlight hugely discounted last-minute deals and error fares — and they make it easy to save loads on your next flight.
Just remember these types of deals (especially error fares) are often only available for a short period of time, so you have to act fast if you want to snag those too-good-to-be-true prices.
3. Be flexible with your dates and destination
If you only take one piece of advice away from this article, let it be this tip! Most people search for flights after having already decided on their dates — but this is a surefire way to find airfare prices at their highest.
If you want to save some major moola, choose your destination first, and then play around with dates to see what months or days are cheapest. To get an idea of what dates will be least expensive, head to Skyscanner, type in your departure and arrival cities, and then hit the “cheapest month” button to explore your options.
You’ll save even more if you’re willing to be flexible with both your dates and your destination. Luckily, Momondo, Google Flights, and Skyscanner all allow you to compare several destinations at once so you can find the cheapest possible flights.
On Skyscanner, you can use the site’s handy flights to “everywhere” search function to scope out the cheapest airfare from your departure airport to destinations around the world.
4. If you can’t be flexible, be creative
Now, I realise being flexible with your dates and destination isn’t always possible — sometimes you just have to be in a specific place at a specific time. If that’s the case, remember that even the tiniest bit of wiggle room with your schedule can translate into big savings.
For instance, can you fly during the middle of the week rather than a weekend? Are you willing to travel on a holiday (like Christmas day) when people are less likely to be flying? Can you book an early morning flight or red-eye to save?
These types of small tweaks may sound trivial, but they can help reduce your flight costs in a big way.
5. Experiment with your route
Flying direct isn’t always the cheapest way to travel, especially when it comes to long-distance flights. If you’re willing to play around with your route and book different legs separately, there’s a good chance you’ll save a significant amount of money.
For example, if you want to travel from Los Angeles to Reykjavik, it might be cheaper to fly to London first, and then book the London to Reykjavik leg with a budget carrier.
Essentially, you want to find the cheapest possible flight to Europe (or whichever continent you’re travelling to), and then take advantage of budget airlines (or even trains or buses if feasible) to get to your final destination.
If you do end up booking separate legs, just remember to leave plenty of time between connections.
6. Know when to book
Flight booking rules have changed in the era of COVID; since travel restrictions are still in place in certain parts of the world and demand is still relatively low, it’s likely you’ll be able to score a great last-minute airfare deal if you’re planning to travel in the coming months.
However, as more people begin searching for flights later this year and into 2022, it’s best to keep the Goldilocks principle in mind when booking: not too early, but not too late. That might sound a tad bit vague, but the sweet spot for deals usually falls between the super-early and cutting it too close windows.
As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to book one to three months in advance for domestic flights, and at least two months in advance for international flights. Prices can vary, however, and you’ll want to book at least three to four months in advance if you’re planning to travel during peak times or major holidays.
These aren’t hard-and-fast rules by any means, so if you happen to see a fare that looks too good to be true at any time, grab it as soon as you can.
