If you love exploring new destinations but hate overpaying for plane tickets, mastering how to find the best flight deals is one of the most valuable skills you can learn as a traveller. With the right mix of timing, tools, and tactics, you can dramatically cut your airfare costs—without sacrificing comfort or convenience.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how far in advance to book, which days and seasons are cheapest, the most powerful fare comparison tools, how to use airline promotions, and a few pro tips frequent flyers swear by.
How to find the best flight deals with smart timing
When it comes to airfare, when you book and when you fly are just as important as where you’re going. A bit of timing strategy can easily save you hundreds of dollars per trip.
Book far enough in advance
Airlines typically release tickets about 11 months before departure. For international flights especially, booking early can unlock the lowest price bands before demand pushes fares higher.
- For international trips, aim to book 2–6 months in advance.
- For domestic trips, a window of 1–3 months often works well.
Wait until the last minute, and you may find that prices have more than doubled compared with those early-release fares.
Choose the right day to book
Studies and fare-tracking data frequently show that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often the best days to book flights. Airlines tend to release or adjust discounts on Monday evenings; by Tuesday afternoon, competitors have matched those lower prices, giving you a short window of opportunity. It’s not a hard and fast rule and some say it’s a myth, and we have found on occasions discounted fare alerts being posted on other days of the week as well.
This doesn’t mean you will always save money on a Tuesday, but if you have flexibility, check fares midweek rather than waiting for the weekend.
Travel off-peak for bigger savings
The time of year you travel has a huge impact on price. Flying during off-peak or “shoulder” seasons usually means fewer crowds and lower fares.
- Avoid: major holidays, school vacations, and peak summer months (varies by destination).
- Consider: late January, September, or shoulder season months for your destination.
Your travel days matter too. Flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often cheaper than those on Fridays and Sundays when demand is highest.
Using fare alerts and comparison tools to unlock cheaper flights
Manually checking prices every day is tedious and unnecessary. Modern fare tools and alerts will do the heavy lifting for you, scanning dozens of airlines and travel sites at once.
Set up fare alerts
Fare alert tools track prices for the route and dates you choose, then notify you when fares drop. This allows you to pounce when the price hits your sweet spot.
Popular options include:
- Google Flights – Flexible calendar view and route tracking
- Skyscanner – Multi-airline search and price alerts
- Kayak – Price alerts plus flexible date options
Just plug in your departure and destination airports, add your dates (or flexible date range), and turn on alerts. You’ll get email or app notifications when the price changes, so you don’t have to keep checking manually.
Compare prices across multiple sites
Fare comparison tools are essential if you want confidence that you’re actually getting a good deal.
- Google Flights: Offers one of the cleanest interfaces and fastest search experiences. You can filter by stops, airlines, flight duration, and baggage options, and the calendar view makes it easy to see the cheapest days to fly.
- Skyscanner: Searches thousands of airlines and agencies. Its famous “Everywhere” option lets you search from your home airport to anywhere to find the cheapest destinations.
- Hopper: Uses historical data to predict future prices and tells you whether to book now or wait. You’ll receive alerts when prices are expected to drop.
- Kayak: In addition to alerts, Kayak’s “Hacker Fare” feature combines two one-way tickets on different airlines to build a cheaper round-trip.
- Momondo: A lesser-known but powerful search engine that includes many smaller booking sites. Its Flight Insight tool shows how time of day, weekday, and season affect prices.
For more details on how one of these tools works, you can explore the official Google Flights help pages at https://support.google.com/flights, which walk through its features and filters in depth.
Using two or three of these tools together ensures you’re seeing a broad slice of the market, not just a single site’s selection.
Understanding airline promotions and loyalty tactics
Once you’re using smart timing and fare tools, the next layer is airline promotions and loyalty systems. These can save you money upfront—or earn you free flights over time.
Subscribe to airline newsletters
Most airlines run email newsletters that highlight:
- Flash sales
- Seasonal discounts
- Promo codes
- Route-specific deals
While your inbox may get a bit busier, these emails sometimes include exclusive offers that never reach general search engines or comparison sites. Setting up a dedicated “travel deals” folder or email address can keep things organized.
Follow airlines on social media
Many airlines now use social platforms like X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram to push out:
- Limited-time flash sales
- 24- or 48-hour promotions
- Region-specific deals
By following your favourite carriers and turning on notifications, you can spot and snag short-lived deals before they sell out.
Join loyalty programs and use co-branded cards
If you fly regularly, joining airline loyalty programs is a must. You’ll earn miles or points for each flight, which can be redeemed for:
- Free or discounted flights
- Seat upgrades
- Priority boarding and checked bags
Many airlines partner with banks to offer co-branded credit cards featuring sign-up bonuses. Hitting a minimum spend can net you enough miles for a free round trip, especially on off-peak dates.
Take advantage of error fares
Occasionally, airlines or booking systems publish error fares—dramatically underpriced tickets caused by glitches or human error. Sites like Secret Flying and The Flight Deal specialise in tracking and sharing these mistakes.
Error fares don’t happen every day and can disappear in hours, but if you’re flexible with dates and destinations, they can lead to once-in-a-lifetime bargains.
Pro tips for squeezing even more value from the best flight deals
With timing, tools, and promos covered, a few extra tactics can further reduce your airfare.
Be flexible with airports
When travelling to or from big cities, check prices for nearby airports as well as the main hub. For example:
- London: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton
- New York: JFK, LaGuardia, Newark
Flying into or out of a secondary airport can significantly lower your fare. Just remember to factor in the cost and time of ground transportation to your final destination.
Use private or incognito browsing
Some travel sites and airlines use cookies to track your search history. Repeatedly searching the same route may cause prices to appear higher over time. To minimize this effect:
- Use incognito/private mode in your browser
- Clear cookies or try a different device or browser
This helps ensure you’re seeing the most accurate current prices, not a version influenced by your past searches.
Consider budget airlines—but read the fine print
Ultra-low-cost carriers like Ryanair, EasyJet, and Spirit often show incredibly low base fares. They can be great for short-haul trips, but they typically charge extra for:
- Checked and sometimes carry-on bags
- Seat selection
- Priority boarding
- Onboard food and drinks
Before you book, add up the all-in cost with your likely extras. Sometimes a slightly higher fare on a full-service airline is cheaper once bags and fees are included.
Watch out for hidden fees
Even traditional airlines can add unexpected charges for:
- Second checked bags
- Seat selection in preferred rows
- Ticket changes and cancellations
Reading the fare conditions carefully before you buy can help you avoid unwelcome surprises later and choose the truly cheapest option.
See our other planning guides here
By combining smart timing, powerful fare tools, a solid understanding of airline promotions, and a few extra pro tricks, you’ll be ready to consistently uncover the best flight deals for your next adventures. Stay flexible, stay curious, and let the savings take you even farther.
