Are you on the hunt for the cheapest flights right now? It’s easy to be your own travel agent when you have tools that let you search for airfare like the pros.
Our travel experts share top search tips that will help you find the perfect flight at the right price for your next vacation.
How to find flight deals
Whether there wasn’t an itinerary above that caught your eye or you want to add more search tricks to your toolkit, we have you covered. There are a few easy hacks that anyone can do to make their hunt for deals even more fruitful.
Be flexible
- Research nearby airports. If you live near more than one airport or your destination is serviced by more than one, then you will definitely want to include all possible airports in your flight search. For instance, the airport in Providence, Rhode Island, is only 90 minutes outside of Boston, with a direct train between cities. When searching flights, just check the box for nearby airports and Skyscanner will automatically include them in your search.
- Be open to different destinations. Being flexible with where you travel can save you a lot on airfare, too. You can use Skyscanner’s Everywhere Search to cheap flights right now to destinations at home and abroad.
- Consider other dates. Off-season and shoulder season may still be great times to visit the destination you have in mind, but at a much more reasonable price (that goes for hotel rates, too!). Alternatively, simply changing your departure and arrival days can help you save too (such as flying out on a Tuesday instead of Friday).
Adjust your search habits
- Fly roundtrip on two tickets. Sometimes you can score cheaper flights by buying two one-way tickets instead of roundtrip airfare. The price could be because an airline is having a sale or because your one-way tickets are from two different carriers.
- Combine miles and cash. Do you have airline miles or credit card points that you can transfer to an airline partner? Even if you don’t have enough accrued for a roundtrip ticket, you can still apply them toward your one-way departure or return ticket. Then just purchase the other one-way ticket with cash.
- Let price guide your search. Flight searches are usually driven by dates, but Skyscanner lets you search by price. In the search panel, just select “Cheapest Month” instead of actual dates. We’ll show you the cheapest flights available right now, with prices broken down by day so you can snag the lowest-priced ticket.
Search on your phone
- Check prices by day. When you do a flight search in the Skyscanner app, you can pull up the calendar and see flight prices by day for your itinerary. The green-colored dates offer the most affordable rates. Select one for your departure date and another for your return, and you’ll be able to see some of the lowest rates available for your itinerary.
- Get notified when prices drop. We all know airfare fluctuates throughout the week depending on a number of factors. You don’t need to check back every day to see if rates dropped. Just set a Skyscanner price alert to get notified when the airfare changes for your desired itinerary.
- Explore shortcuts. When you’re in the Skyscanner mobile app, tap the search icon at the bottom to see our curated “Explore” options. We bring you cheap flights by month and categories like quick getaways, popular destinations and more. Just type in your departure city to see the cheapest routes and the dates they’re available.
As destinations welcome visitors again, be sure you’re taking the right precautions to make your trip a safe one. Check local government or CDC guidelines if you’re unsure. When you’re ready to explore again and start your next flight search, use Skyscanner’s understand Carbon emissions label to identify sustainable travel options and turn on our flexible travel filter to view routes that offer an expanded change or cancellation policy.
Want to read more?
- Coronavirus travel advice: Everything you need to know about domestic travel restrictions and airline cancellation policies.
- 25 of the most surreal places to visit in the US: Your bucket list is going to get a whole lot bigger after you read about these amazing sights.
- Guide to all-inclusive resorts in Florida: Treat yourself to a stay at one of these fantastic all-inclusive resorts in the Sunshine State.
