Top Tips for Booking Cheap Flights
There isn’t one set way to book cheap flights but there are some really easy methods that will help you get the best deal possible. And not before long, you’ll be a fully fledged cheap fare finder yourself – though don’t forget to check out my general tips first.
The first thing to do is ask yourself what kind of flight you’re after as that can really change how you choose to search. Click which one fits your next trip, though don’t forget to read my general tips first!
Tips Before You Book!
First things first, there are a few things to consider before looking for flights:
Find your accommodation first
Well. This isn’t what you expected, was it? But before we get down to the nitty gritty, I wanted to just say ‘yes cheap flights are brilliant and all that but…’ – do not let a cheap flight distract you from the fact that accommodation tends to be the biggest cost when going away.
If it means paying an extra £40 for your flight, it will be well worth it if your accommodation is £300 cheaper for that period.
Check nearby airports
Sometimes ticking ‘search for nearby airports’ isn’t enough – you need to manually search for alternative airports. For example, did you know that you can reach Birmingham International airport for as little as £7 and it’s only a 1 hour and 10 minutes train away from London?
Need bags? Know which airlines offer them for free or cheap
Low cost airlines like Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet will make you pay for more than just a 'personal item' whilst British Airways still includes a carry on suitcase. However, for long haul you'll still need to pay for check in with BA (and Virgin!) whilst other airlines may include it in your cost. Basically, it can sometimes be worth paying more for a fare with bags if that's what you need.
Flights aren't cheaper on a Tuesday!
Well, not always at least! There are so many studies about cheapest days and so often they have different results. Yes - there will be one day across a year that is statically better to book on and say that comes out as a Tuesday, it doesn't mean that every Tuesday from there on in will be the cheapest. The truth is, the best time to book is... when no one else is. So avoid booking after a destination has just been shown on prime time TV or after a sports event has just been announced.
Don't worry about incognito mode
I know, I know - it's been drilled into us to always do this! However, there's no evidence to show that browsing in 'private mode' will give you a cheaper fare. The truth is booking systems are merely reacting to demand and so prices will go up and possibly go down again based on that.
Don't wait until last minute to book
It's difficult to pinpoint the best time to book a flight - it often comes down to the demand for that specific route on that specific date - but one thing that most studies do agree on is that leaving your booking until last minute is not a good idea. In general, airlines will make more money from a few desperate travellers paying inflated prices than they will off a ton of travellers paying cut rates. It's as simple as that.
When You’re Flexible on Dates and Destination
You don’t care where you’re going, you just want to get away for a good price! Whilst this means there’s loads of potential cheap trips to take, the options can be a little overwhelming so here’s a few methods I do to get the ball rolling.
Option 1 – Skyscanner on Desktop
You’ll like this if: If you’re after a quick and easy search to find an absolute bargain. It helps if you aren’t fussed on having a bag or travelling at peak times – all you care about is the price of the flight.
Head to Skyscanner and:
- Type in your departure airport
- Remember to click ‘Add nearby airports’ if you’re really flexible. You could just type ‘United Kingdom’ as well, but I find it brings up too many results to be that helpful!
- Under ‘To’ type in ‘Everywhere’
- Know you want to go to a specific country? Type that in instead!
- When you click on the departure date it will bring up a calendar view – click on ‘whole month’ and then select ‘Cheapest month’
- Too much choice? Select whole months instead
- Confirm how many passengers you’re booking for
- Click on ‘Search flights’
- Get browsing cheap flights!
Option 2 – Skyscanner App
You’ll like this if: You love Skyscanner and whilst you don’t care when or where you go, you’d like a selection of cheap return flights rather than just the cheapest one.
Open the Skyscanner app:
- On the ‘homepage’ of the app, don’t click on flights but underneath where it says ‘Explore everywhere’
- Type in your departure airport
- You can type in whole countries e.g. ‘United Kingdom’ – though perhaps circle back as you may get too many options Under ‘To’ type in ‘Everywhere’
- Know you want to go to a specific country? Type that in instead!
- The dates will be preset to ‘anytime’ which will bring up loads of cheap options
- You can tap ‘anytime’ to change to whole months instead
- The destinations will populate instantly below – tap on one and it will bring up loads of cheap return flight suggestions!
Option 2 – Kayak on Desktop
You’ll like this if: You’re pretty flexible but have in mind how long you want to go away for – plus, you prefer to search using a map rather than a list of countries
Head to Kayak, click on their ‘flights’ tab then:
- Type in your departure airport
- Now… don’t get too excited about the potential search options on show here. They only work if you know your departure airport and destination. You can still pop in cities that have several airports though e.g. ‘London’
- Under ‘To’ type in ‘Anywhere’
- Know you want to go to a specific country? Type that in instead!
- For your dates, you have a few choices
- Again, don’t get excited. All the wonderful flexible searches it promises you are just for when you know your destination. For now, just select any dates and click the search button
You’ll be met with a completely new search page and it’s here that the fun begins!
- Click on dates and tap on ‘Date range’
- Here you can keep ‘anytime’ still selected or opt for a whole month instead
- You can also set how long you want the trip to be
- Click off and you can either use the map to explore, or scroll through the options
- Use the filters at the side to tailor your trip to your needs
- I love that you can search for ‘Beach’ trips in this way, and ‘Romantic’ will be really helpful for planning those special trips away!
Option 4 – Google Flights
You’ll like this if: You are flexible on where but want to go away for a weekend, 1 week or 2 weeks. You also have a preference for flight times, airlines and whether your flight includes carry on luggage.
Head to Google Flights and:
- Type in where you’re leaving from
- And leave ‘Where to?’ blank
- Leave any old thing in the dates – we’ll change them at the next stage
You’ll be met with a new search page featuring a map but the first thing to do is tackle the dates.
- Click on the departure date – a calendar will pop up
- Toggle over to ‘Flexible dates’ at the top and select what works best for you
- Don’t forget the filters!
- The filters are the best thing about Google Flights in my opinion – I love that I can specify that I want an evening flight (great for weekend breaks where you don’t want to use up annual leave) and also select that you want a carry on bag included
Option 5 – Ryanair
You’ll like this if: You want to find £20 flights and know your local airport has a load of Ryanair routes. You’ve also got general dates in mind but are looking for a quick way to search all the options.
I actually love this search tool – it’s one of my favourites!
Head to Ryanair’s Cheap Flight Finder:
- Select your departure airport
- Unfortunately you’ll have to search individual airports if you’re flying from somewhere that has multiple options
- ‘Anywhere’ will already be selected under ‘To’
- There are options to search Regions and Countries too but it’s just for Spain and Ireland at the moment – hopefully this will expand!
- Select your budget – you can even type if your own
- My favourite is the £20 and under!!
- Click on ‘Let’s go’
- Now it’s time to tailor what you’re after! Click on ‘Fly out’ and select what fits your trip best
- Date range – I love that you can select several dates that you could fly out on
- Entire month – when you have a month in mind
- Next 3 months – for when you want cheap but soon
- Anytime – for when you want the cheapest dates possible!
- Do the same for ‘Fly back’ (or keep clear if it’s one way you’re booking)
- Date range – it’s the same concept as before
- Trip length – you can specify the exact amount of days you’re hoping to go away for
Honestly, it’s really clever. It’s just a shame it only shows Ryanair flights!!
Option 6 – Get Someone Else to Do the Searching for You
You’ll like this if: You able to book a flight at the drop of a hat and have a bucket list of destinations you’re waiting to tip off.
Basically, if you can be really flexible, you can wait until the deals come to you!
Cheap Flight Websites and Newsletters
- Jack’s Flight Club
- It costs £39 for their Premium membership but there is a free option too which will deliver flight bargains straight into your inbox
- Secret Flying
- Totally free – their Facebook page is worth a follow too to see updates in your feed – though you’ll need to remember to check the site daily
Holiday Deal Websites and Newsletters
- Travelzoo
- They offer package holidays and city breaks rather flights on their own, but it could make the booking process even easier for you!
- Secret Escapes
- Similar to Travelzoo, this is more for flights plus accommodation, but there’s lots to choose from!
When You’re Flexible on Dates but Know the Destination
There’s somewhere you’ve been itching to visit – the thing is, you just want to get the best price possible! I hear ya – and here’s exactly what I do.
Option 1 – Google Flights
You’ll like this if: You know where you want to go but have a month, a trip duration or a specific flight time in mind.
Head to Google Flights and:
- Type in where you’re leaving from
- Type in where you want to go to
- Remember, if you just know the country you can type that in instead!
- Leave any old thing in the dates – we’ll change them at the next stage
You’ll be met with a new search page featuring a map.
- Click on the departure date – a calendar will pop up
- If you know what duration you’re after, use the toggle at the bottom to select how long you want the trip to be and then scroll through the calendar, looking out for the dates in green – they’re the cheapest
- If you’re not sure about trip duration, just ignore that part! Scroll through, still looking for the green dates and simply start clicking around and seeing what could work for you
- What is fantastic about Google Flights is that even before you select your dates, you can also add in a range of filters including bags, stops and times that really help when you need to be specific – and then it will reflect in the calendar prices too!
One of my other favourite things is that below the flight options you’ll see this banner.
Click on it and it will show you how your fares weigh up compared to the average prices. If you’re a geek like me, you’ll love this. Otherwise, it’s just really handy to see whether you’ve got a good price or not!
I think that as long as it’s in the green or the lower end of yellow, you’re paying less than the average passenger and so you’ve found yourself a good deal. If you’re happy with the price, get it booked and – most importantly – don’t check the flight price again!
Option 2 – Kayak on Desktop
You’ll like this if: You’re flexible on dates but know any of the following – what kind of dates you’d like to travel, that you want to travel across a weekend or how long you want to travel for
Head to Kayak, click on their ‘flights’ tab then:
- Type in your departure airport
- Unfortunately, you can’t type in multiple airports if you’re flexible on dates but you can still type in a city that has multiple airpots, e.g. ‘London’
- Under ‘To’ type in your destination
- You can just pop in a country but I find it more helpful to specify one place
- For your dates, you have a few choices but first click on the departure date to bring up the calendar view:
- Good for when you kind of know when you’d like to go – Click on ‘dates’ on the left hand side and select dates that could work and then in the top right hand corner, confirm how many days either side you’d like to search
- Good for when you want to go away across a weekend – Click on a date (it will search 4 weeks either side of that date) and then select what day and time you’d like to depart and arrive back
- Good for when you know how long you want to go for – Click on a date (it will search 4 weeks either side of that date) and then write in how long you want the duration to be
Option 3 – Skyscanner on Desktop
You’ll like this if: You’re flexible on dates and want a super quick and easy way to find the cheapest possible dates in the next few months.
Head to Skyscanner and:
- Type in your departure airport
- Remember to click ‘Add nearby airports’ if you’re really flexible. You could just type ‘United Kingdom’ as well, but I find it brings up too many results to be that helpful!
- Under ‘To’ type in your destination
- Remember, if you just know the country you can type that in instead!
- When you click on the departure date it will bring up a calendar view – click on ‘whole month’ and then select ‘Cheapest month’
- Too much choice? Select whole months instead
Remember that once you know your dates and destination to double check you’re getting the best price possible!
When You Know the Dates but Are Flexible on the Destination
I find myself in this predicament a lot – I know when I want to go but I’m looking for some inspiration on when to go. And nothing is more inspiring than a super cheap price!!
Option 1 – Google Flights
You’ll like this if: You want to know what popular destinations could work for your dates and budget.
Head to Google Flights and:
- Type in where you’re leaving from
- Leave where you want to go blank
- Select what dates you want to go
- After you’ve clicked ‘search’, you’ll be shown a new page where you can either choose to explore the map, or you can scroll through the suggested destinations on the left hand side
- This list is only showing you popular places. For more, you need to zoom in more on the map
The true beauty in this is using the filter to help tailor what it is you’re actually after. For me, the ones I tend to tweak are:
- Stops (I rarely want to do more than 1 stop unless I’m going really far!)
- Price (remember to factor in budget for 2 people if that’s what you’re searching for)
- Duration (helpful for when you want somewhere nearby)
- Bag (for those times I need a carry on bigger than a backpack)
Option 2 – Kayak on Desktop
You’ll like this if: You want to see the cheapest possible trips available for your dates – or are interested in a specific type of holiday such as ‘Beach’, ‘City’ or ‘Family’.
Head to Kayak, click on their ‘flights’ tab and then:
- Type in your departure airport
- Unfortunately, you can’t type in multiple airports if you’re flexible on location but you can still type in a city that has multiple airpots, e.g. ‘London’
- Under ‘To’ type in ‘Anywhere’
- Know you want to go to a specific country? Type that in instead!
- Select what dates you want to go
- Hit the orange search button
This will bring up a new search page with a map and a list of destinations. I love that it sorts these destinations by price – and also that it’s got a few filters to help you really tailor your results. I think the ‘Beach’ and ‘Family’ one in particular will be helpful for many!
Option 3 – Skyscanner on Desktop
You’ll like this if: You want to quickly see a list of cheapest destinations for your dates.
Head to Skyscanner and:
- Type in your departure airport
- Remember to click ‘Add nearby airports’ if you’re really flexible. You could just type ‘United Kingdom’ as well, but I find it brings up too many results to be that helpful!
- Under ‘To’ type in ‘Everywhere’
- Select what dates you want to go
- Click ‘search flights’ and scroll through the options
- I really like that it lists the options by price
Remember that once you know your dates and destination to double check you’re getting the best price possible!
When You Know the Dates and the Destination
Okay. So this is something I get asked about a lot and the truth is that if you have no flexibility on dates or destination, it can be really difficult to get the price down.
However, there are things you can do to make sure you’re getting the best price possible and failing that, you may want to try my wildcard ideas.
Option 1 – Whatever Search Engine Is Your Favourite
You’ll see why I say this in a moment but I personally always go into this situation by searching with the following.
Head to Google Flights and:
- Type in where you’re leaving from
- Type in where you’re going to
- Select what dates you want to go
- After you’ve clicked ‘search’, you’ll be shown a list of the possible flights and you can use the filters to really find what you’re after
- Once you’ve found a flight you’re happy with, click through and double check that the price holds true once you’ve selected a company to book it with
REMEMBER, whoever you book your flight with is who you have to deal with should you need to get in touch with customer services. This is likely to be either the airline direct or an Online Travel Agent (OTA) - not Google Flights, Skyscanner or Kayak.
Now, you may be happy with the prices you’ve found but I always like to double check the possibilities on other flight websites too. So basically, report all the above on the following:
- Skyscanner
- Kayak
- Momondo
- Direct with the airline
Keep remembering to click through the whole way to make sure you’re seeing the actual price – some flight websites don’t automatically update when a price changes.
Should You Wait to Book in Case the Price Goes Down?
Ah, the one question to answer them all!
The truth is that in all the studies that have ever been done, the best days and dates to book have always changed. These days, the systems that price flights are far too clever and are constantly tweaking prices based on demand. It’s called ‘dynamic pricing’. Therefore, the best time to book a flight is… When no one else is.
Since that’s not really very helpful, here are a couple of tools that I like to use to at least tell me how good the price I’ve found is.
How to Use Google Flights to Check Whether You’re Getting a Good Price
Once you’ve put in your destination and dates and have been brought to the next search page, scroll down and look out for this.
Click on it and it will show you how your fares weigh up compared to the average prices.
I think that as long as it’s in the green or the lower end of yellow, you’re paying less than the average passenger and so you’ve found yourself a good deal. If you’re happy with the price, get it booked and – most importantly – don’t check the flight price again!
If the price is simply too much, scroll back up to the top of your search results and you can click a toggle that says ‘Track prices’. As long as you’re logged into Google, this will email you when the price changes – and hopefully it goes down!
But please bear in mind that the one thing studies have been fairly consistent with is leaving booking your flight to the last 7 days isn’t the best idea. Prices tend to go up in the last few days.
How to Use Google Flights to Check Whether You’re Getting a Good Price
Another helpful tool is the app Hopper which uses previous flight data to tell you whether to ‘book now’ or ‘wait’. Of course, it’s not a total science but it is a good one to confirm that the price you’re seeing is a good one.
Other Ideas to Get the Price Down
There are some other thoughts here of things you can do to keep the price low.
Flying one way? Try searching for a return
Yep – sometimes it’s cheaper to purchase a return flight than just one way. Madness.
Is another form of transport cheaper?
Don't forget to check trains, ferries, car hire and even car shares if you're struggling to find a flight in budget
Try booking an 'open jaw' flight
This is what it's called when you fly from one city but return to the original city from a different place. This is helpful when one leg of your trip is really expensive. For example, my flight home from Perugia would have cost me £270 on Ryanair and so instead I paid £10 for a 2 hour train to Rome and spent £150 to fly home business class instead.
Turn your connection into another stop
If your trip has a long layover, try putting the same flight route into the multi-city search option but extend the layover so that you can spend a bit of time there as an extra part of your trip. Often, it won't cost you a penny more but it means you get to see more of the world!
Super serve your flight to an international hub
If you're flying to one of the world's busiest international airports - think Atlanta, Beijing, Heathrow, Dubai and Tokyo - it may be that you could add on another destination for not much more. I once found that adding in Sri Lanka, Hong Kong or Vietnam onto a trip to Dubai only added around £100. Again, use the multi-city search to try this out.
Searching for two people? Try searching individually
There may be one ticket left at the cheapest price, so check how much it would cost if you selected the tickets individually in case it adds up to less. You could also try booking the cheap rate simultaneously – but most websites won’t be fooled that easily!
Not travelling alone? Make sure your search reflects it
It can be easy to search for prices on the preset of ‘1 adult’, but strangely, you can sometimes get cheaper rates when you’re booking more than one ticket so give that a go too.
Check the departures board of your destination
Sometimes new airlines and routes can take a little time to filter through so it's worth checking the current departures board to see what the options are. I found this once when a new route with Shenzhen Airlines wasn't showing up on Skycanner but was a huge £300 cheaper than the results I did find!
Try search engines local to your destination
Search engines local to the destinations you’re heading may be able to offer you a better a deal – but remember to book with a card that doesn’t charge you a foreign transaction fee. When travelling around Vietnam, I came across Baolau‘s search engine and not only did it offer train fares, it consistently offered plane fares for less money than the likes of Skyscanner – and having just checked, it still does!
Check business class
I know this sounds WILD but it's happened to me once where it was £25 cheaper to fly business over economy so it's always worth a check!
Search for vouchers and promo codes
Now, money off and promo codes aren’t the norm when it comes to booking flights but some Online Travel Agents (OTAs) do flaunt these from time to time so it can be worth a quick google. I always search Twitter too!
Book an error fare
This is when someone (or something - often a computer!) has messed up and a flight is much cheaper than it should be. These are rare and so hard to find, but Secret Flying is a website that publishes the ones it does find! However, do note that airlines don't always honour these fares (I once flew on a £250 return flight to Tokyo this way though!!)
Check a Cheap Flight Group
Some of my favourites are Secret Flying, Jack's Flight Club and Airfare Watchdog.
Seen a great deal but not for your dates?
Often, these cheap flight groups don't list all possible dates and so I like to use Google Flights to recreate the deals it shows you - first by putting in the dates you know will work. Then, once you know what price you're looking for, scroll through the calendar dates to see if you can spot the same price elsewhere!
Sign up for frequent flyer programmes
Gone are the days where free upgrades were commonplace but if there's one thing for sure, you're not going to get anywhere if you're not even part of the airlines reward programme in the first place!
Fly for free using rewards points
Now, this is a bit of a long game and may not help you immediately but if you're someone who has a fair amount of outgoings a month or travels a lot already, it's definitely worth thinking about your reward point strategy! For me, this means I spend on a credit card that rewards me in this way and I also got bonus miles for signing up. Of course, please only do this if you can afford to pay it off in full each and every month. You may also be able to collect points through your supermarket - Tesco and Sainsburys both have options!
Check package holidays
If you need a flight plus accommodation or a hire car, it can sometimes work out cheaper to book them through the same provider. I find British Airways' Holiday Finder is particularly good for this if there are 2 of you travelling from London.
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