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I've been playing around with the usual sites on Google, including Google Flights itself. They're all pretty much delivering the same results.
Is there a better way? Maybe going through an agent or buying directly from the airline?
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No matter what site you use to find cheap flights, I always recommend then checking the airline directly for the same flights. If they are same or a similar price I always book direct with the airline.
Reason: Any booking agency will charge you extra fees on top of the airlines fees if you wish to change, amend or cancel your flight. These booking agency fees can be astronomical, unnecessary and their customer service deplorable (you are relying on them dealing with the airline on your behalf. IMO you can do this yourself easier and cheaper)
I always book direct because I fly southwest and they don't show up on aggregator sites. 😂
Very true last year I got my days mixed up and missed an international flight but luckily I had booked directly with the Airlines and they simply changed it without any fees.
What if it's 3,4 connecting flights from USA to Thailand? I Have to use those
kayak, expedia sites right? Can't book directly from the airline? What do you recommend thanks!
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This is a common misconception but not at all true. Travel sites don’t set prices, airlines do, and it’s based on total supply and demand.
There is no way to track and change prices based on a single users search history. Airlines have enough trouble simply filling available seats as it is.
Worked at a travel search site and the truth is, they pretty much all have the same or very similar data, as there are only a handful of data providers and most of the industry has been consolidated.
The best way to save on travel is knowing when you book. Watch trips well in advance (6 months +) and get a feel for what prices are going for.
Google won’t record your browsing history in incognito mode. The more you search and look at flights the prices tend to go up, just because they know you’re looking and interested in those dates. Incognito prevents the price hike.
This is true. I think its dishonest on behalf of the browsers but that is what they do. I use any flight aggregator then check the parent airline website for the exact price
People saying websites collect your search data to store it and possibly increases prices are wrong. It’s a myth.
I’m a former travel agent, there are too many variables to just blame any price increase on search history.
E.g. Seat 24E could be X price one minute and if any person in the world buys seat 24D, then 24E may go up. Not all seats of the same class are the same price, so if a certain amount of economy seats sell out, then the remaining economy seats will cost more. Each class has their own class, which the consumers don’t see. And obviously on the internet anyone can book at any time. Different airlines, dates, times, flight routes, third parties, sales etc. all contribute to the price changes. There’s just not enough evidence to say that your previous searches will increase the price of flights.
The best option is to browse and compare a bunch of different websites, then I’ll almost always go directly to the airline website to book through there even if it’s slightly more.
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Its so weird to me that so many people including mods on r/flights say "this is a myth" I used to write the software for increasing prices after users look at them. Everyone knows its technologically possible--so how can it "be a myth" just because one site doesnt do it at one time doesnt mean that some other site wont do it. The whole idea of it being a "myth" implies that its not possible and no one will ever do it--both of those things are 100% false.
Flight services could increase the ticket price depends on info about you (laptop model, history etc.)
Seems a bit personal
Yeah, Internet is private I forgot 😄
I use Hopper. It has limitations in that you have to have specific dates and airports in mind, but it will watch your flights for you and tell you how likely it is that prices are to go down. It also tends to have cheaper flights listed than Skyscanner (I don't know why).
I love Hopper. I bought my RT tix from JFK to Berlin (this spring) with a checked bag for under 480. The alerts are great.
I always book through the airline, though.
I know, I've been watching flights from Seattle to London for 500 and my trigger finger is itching...
Funny you say that about Skyscanner, because I've found the opposite to be true!
Interesting! I set alerts for both, but most of my luck has been with Hopper. I wonder why there's the discrepancy...
Nobody else uses Momondo? Cheap flights, comparison shopping, best UI I've seen for flexible traveling... what's not to love?
This is what I was going to say! I got rountrip tickets to West Palm Beach for like $89 last year on momondo
I was coming here to day this. It’s always almost cheaper than the cheapest flight. Even if it’s a few dollars cheaper.
Came here to say this. The analytics on momondo make finding the right day to fly and the cheapest destination very easy. Monomondo paired with Skyscanner is the perfect combo
If you're not picky about where you're going or timelines, Scott's Cheap Flights is good. I got 2 roundtrip tickets to England for under 700, although I waited awhile to find it.
I'm budgeting for a trip from Los Angeles to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan or Almaty, Kazakhstan next summer 2020.
A $600 flight to Istanbul is perfectly possible on the regular, even sub-$500. Pegasus Airlines from there to Bishkek.
Ukraine International will take you from New York to Almaty as well for cheap.
Or go to Budapest and take the Wizzair flight to Astana and then fly domestic (which is super cheap, $30-40 with checked luggage, half without).
If you have a lot of time and are open to a few connections:
Norwegian has direct flights from LAX to London Gatwick. In the winter you can get a one-way ticket for as low as $159, but of course, in the summer this will go up.
From London, you can get cheap flights to Budapest, often around $30.
From Budapest, Wizz Air does flights on Sundays to Astana, Kazakhstan. I've done this for $55, but look ahead because it can go up. Returning to Budapest, they fly Sundays and also Wednesdays.
From Astana, you can either fly to Almaty for about $40 or take the train for about $20. I took the train and thought it was lovely to travel through the steppe (it's very comfortable because you have a bed and can meet some Kazakh people who are very welcoming- just book early before it sells out!), but a couple friends flew Scat Airlines and had positive experiences.
A lot depends on your dates and how flexible you're willing to be/how lucky you get/if you're willing to spend a couple nights in Budapest or Astana along the way. Enjoy your trip and all of your planning!! Also, once you're in the area, I'd strongly recommend visiting Tajikistan if you have the time- the natural beauty surpassed even Kyrgyzstan in my opinion!
Are you going to the World Nomad Games?
Sadly, no. I am going to Kyrgyzstan next summer, but the 2020 WNG will be in Turkey.
LPT: Learn Russian
Figure out the cheapest price for the flight and if it goes lower, book.
The cheapest I've seen from East Coast to Almaty is $500ish round trip. If you see a good price, just book it and save yourself the trouble because otherwise you will spend a ton of man hours trying to save an extra $50-100 if you're lucky.
I almost went there but from my research the place looks pretty expensive for accommodations/etc, with possible exception of the cheapest arrangements. You are much better off figuring out how to save money when you get there instead of spending a lot of time trying to save money on one flight.
I’m looking at it as an alternative to Bishkek as a starting point. The area of Kazakhstan I actually want to visit is around Turkistan and Otrar. I also want to spend a couple of weeks exploring Kyrgyzstan.
I don't think I've seen Kazakhstan on there. There are Europe deals occasionally, so it might still be a good deal depending on if you're able to get a good price on the connection, and that's enough lead time that it can't hurt to watch the free tier of the email list.
Got $600 r/t direct on Cathay to HK thanks to Scott’s Cheap Flights. And $450 r/t direct to Paris on United. They are wonderful! Have to be flexible, but they find great deals!
Do you actually buy tickets through them?
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Do you have to have a premium account for that? I signed up with the free service, but all I'm seeing are "deals" to random cities, no way to actually search for specific locations.
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The free tier doesn't let you specify anything, paid tier let's you specify home airport. It's not something to use as a primary option, more a thing to keep an eye on in case it opens a door that goes where you need it to.
ITA Flight Matrix is a fantastic tool. Can’t believe it hasn’t been mentioned above.
I was just looking for this. Is is a great tool to compare flights.
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They do list some low cost but not each one. Also, you have to play with the commands if you want to get a better deal.
the hopper app!
Local blogs that send email alerts for cheap flights out of my city. Also hopper and Google flights
Happy cake day!
If you have very specific dates and a specific place in mind, you’re usually only going to get an okay price on tickets. If you can be flexible with one of those, you have a way to save money.
I use a CRAP ton of sites and compare them all. Momondo and Kiwi will sometimes find some better deals than what I’ve found on Google Flights, BUT the caveat is that there are more layovers and more travel time. Sometimes you have to decide if more travel time with worth saving money or not. Skyscanner and Hopper are other good ones. Then there’s the typical Orbitz and Expedia and such.
Maybe I’m weird, but I actually LIKE comparing sites, so I don’t mind spending the extra time. To me, that makes planning the trip just as fun as going on it.
I also want to echo what someone said above. If you find that the best deal is the same price when booked through the airline (otherwise known as the price on Google Flights) then book it directly through the airline. Having to deal with a third party to make changes is a pain and if they make an error, the airline won’t be able to help you.
I start with Google flights and Kiwi, they're the most flexible options. They let you select multiple dates and search many airlines. After I check out Momondo and Skyscanner because they check all the other search engines and sometimes have cheaper fares. You'll start to see one or two flights that are showing up on all three sites, go directly to the website and check the prices there.
A few other tips, go Incognito like a few people suggested and be flexible on airports, sometimes it's cheaper to take a train or bus if it's only a couple hours or even a budget airline. Many regional airlines do not show up on flight aggregate sites.
Skiplagged usually has the best prices in my experience, but skyscanner is super useful too.
I second this. Typically get a higher quality airline with a skiplagged ticket. Just be prepared to only be able to bring carry-on luggage only. No checked bags.
I always start with Kayak since it has the option of searching up to 3 days before and after the dates you pick for there and return. You also have the option of selecting to search alternative airports near your selection.
This helps me pinpoint what days, airlines, and airports are going to give me the best deal.
Then I narrow my search from there; double check with Expedia, Skyscanner, etc.; and look at the airline's direct website.
If the website is foreign, but I'll still be able to read it, I use the page intended for users from their country of origin. The prices can sometimes be cheaper.
BEING FLEXIBLE WITH DATES is where the savings are. Sometimes going to the airline site. Can you fly to a closer city, then take an overnight train to your actual location?
I don't think there's any secret way of getting a better price on an itinerary you already have in mind. The various websites are all pulling from the same database. About all you can do is to think about nearby airports and overland links, or ways to use miles.
A better strategy is to subscribe to alert emails like Scott's Cheap Flights and The Flight Deal and be ready to jump when something good appears.
Google Flights and the Hopper app.
I keep up with Thrifty Traveler on Facebook. They usually post a lot of different trips.
In case you missed it, Google flights let's you pull up a matrix of dates around your chosen flight times so you can see the cheapest one. I also found the map of local airports very useful when in SEA.
Kayak Explore of you don't care about dates. I flew from Denver to Brussels for $289 once. Just had to give them a time of year o wanted to travel and my budget. I was just playing around d seeing what a Max budget of $300 would get me. Tons of flights popped up all over the world and the flight to Brussels was the closest to where I enevitably wanted to end up.
I once found a cheap flight by Googling "xyz to xyz flight" and it gave me some non-typical results and saved quite a bit.
Usually Google Flights is my first option and on from there.
I’ve had great luck finding inexpensive flights using google flights. In 2017 I flew to Madrid in the fall for $400 RT with Iberia.
Scott's Cheap Flights!
the cheapest and best flights that i’ve found have been from skyscanner! great deals and they sort though 40+ competing companies for the deals (ie. kayak, google flights, travelocity,...)
Hopper.
Momondo
Webjet in incognito then onto the airline site
Skiplagged is a good app for cheap flights!
Try Sky scanner the app. It works for me.
Momondo
In europe we use skyscanner, then I go directly on the website (sometime) to buy the ticket and get the options for free. I don't know if you can get it if you live outside of europe. you should check
I almost always find the best prices with Momondo - and tend to use Expedia to book the actual flights. Sometimes have found some good deals on Wotif too.
Not necessarily the absolute cheapest flights available - but I do find they are the cheapest 'best' option (in terms of a certain flight departure/arrival time, connection times, good airlines, etc...)
Secretflying. They find the best deals! I flew from Porto to Madrid for $11 and Dublin to Ho Chi Minh for $60
What do you pay per month with them?
Nothing
Dohop.com
ArchieNoMad.com
I use Google Flights to explore new destinations to fly to for cheap. I also use it for finding the cheapest days to fly. It’s a pretty handy tool.
I recommend using Skiplagged. It'll find you flight and even flights that reach a different final desination but gives you the inbetween hops in case those routes are cheaper. I recommend checking this site and comparing with the website of the acuatual airline.
I’m going to try this guy: http://freetravelconsultants.com/ He claimed he can get you up to 50% off any Expedia listing. It sounds too good to be true but I know for a fact that there are some people that sell their miles. I haven’t tried him yet but I am going to.
He’s on reddit. u/freetravelconsult I don’t know, he has a thread on shoestring
try the app skyscanner, it shows you the cheapest flights whether it’s for a specific destination or you can search “everywhere” to see the cheapest flights in general.
There's an app called hopper that I love using, especially because my dates are usually fixed
Errorfares.nl, you can join a mailinglist (in Dutch, but bookingsites are universal) with planetickets priced for stupid low amounts. Departure is often from Netherlands or Germany. Might be worth it depending on where you live.
For normal searches, I use Skiplagged. The website explains (proves) why
Skiplagged. It will break up connecting flights to get a cheaper fare. - downside is that sometimes you have to travel light because you can’t check a bag on some combinations.
Skyscanner and Kayak, and also sign up to Jacks Flight Club.
I work for an airline and one of the commenter was right when he/she said to check directly w the airline. U usually get the best price! Good luck !😊
Thats hogwash
Thrifty Traveler sends out deals daily. Worth a look, might just get lucky! Also Scott's Cheap Flights.
Book with both airlines. The second airline should have on their website the transit time you need to have between flights ata particular airport, or the airport website will have this. Third party booking websites often do nothing to guarantee a transfer and only use the same recommended time that you can find out yourself.
Google flights mostly
Google flights are consistently more costly
More costly than what?
The same flight on the airline website. Almost everytime. Sometimes only $10 but often more
Kiwi is the GOAT
Scott cheap flights! It’s amazing.
Next Vacay!
Hotwire.com
Student universe
No matter how many sites I check, I always end up booking through Expedia. Best pricing/deals every time.
Seconding Hopper, Google Flights, SkyScanner. We used this system and were flexible with dates and were able to get $600 nonstop flight tickets to Paris on United. If at all possible, book through your airline. If something happens and you need to adjust your times, dates, flight is delayed and you’re going to miss a connection, whatever.. You have to go through the booking company (Hopper for example) and not the airline. It could be more difficult to reschedule/switch things around if you’re not dealing directly with the airline.
Skyscanner if you know how to use it.
Kiwi is always my go to!
You can download Expedia the best application