Terminal Updated on March iii, 2022 by Nellie Huang

As a total-fourth dimension travel blogger, I travel around 15 times a year, most of them on my ain cash. Today I'chiliad showing you how to find the cheapest flights to anywhere in the earth.

how to find the cheapest flights anywhere

How to Find Cheapest Flights

As I've often preached, travel doesn't need to be expensive.

Most of the time, airfare is the biggest expenditure on your trip and it takes up a chunk of our savings. The best mode to reduce this expenditure is to observe the cheapest flight possible.

After spending the past sixteen years traveling around the globe, I've learned quite a few tricks when it comes to finding cheap airfares.

For instance, I once bought a Madrid-Oslo budget flight for simply $fifteen render (with taxes included) and some other return flight from Oslo to Los Angeles for only $328. I also recently scored an error fare from Madrid to Accra for $208 return, half the usual price!

Every bit part of my travel tips series, this article is a compilation of some secret tricks I utilize to find the cheapest flights to anywhere.

Search for Flights Incognito

Accept you lot e'er searched for a flight and then gone dorsum to check it a few times only to find that the flight price has increased each time?

If you've been suspecting that the airline and travel websites are behind this — you lot're correct.

It's the archetype bunko. The websites use cookies to track you. When they detect an involvement in a detail flight, they jack up the price for a college turn a profit.

To become around this, always search for flights in incognito to discover the lowest prices. Incognito browsing ensures that no history or other individual data such as cache or cookies are left backside at the end of your browsing session.

On Google Chrome, browse with the Incognito Manner  by simply going to the Chrome menu button (three horizontal lines) in the upper correct corner and selecting New Incognito Tab from the drop-down menu. Similarly on Safari, choose Private Browsing on the Gear icon in the acme right corner of your browser window.

how to find cheapest flight anywhere - booking flight

Use a VPN to Discover Location-Specific Deals

Another mode to browse privately is by using a VPN, a secure internet network where data cannot be intercepted. Not only does it protect your browsing history, it also allows y'all to access state-specific content.

This style, you tin can also take advantage of location-specific airfare deals some airlines have.

Last year, I nabbed an error fare on United Airlines' Danish website using a VPN and got a Copenhagen-Los Angeles flight for $100 return. Seriously.

I personally utilize VyprVPN for such scenarios and besides when I'm traveling in places with censored internet.

find cheapest flights

Compare Across Airlines and Flight Search Engines

Gone are the days when you need to manually check airfares on dissimilar airlines, i by one. At present nearly every flight search engine lets yous compare airfares across airlines and even different flight brokers.

Skyscanner is the nearly popular meta search engines. Exist prepared though to go through various pop upwardly windows to discover the best deal. Skyscanner is easily down my favorite search engine every bit they've always found me the cheapest airfares.

Here's a listing of the best search engines in my opinion:

Skypicker — This is one of the best websites for finding the cheapest flights anywhere as it searches a wide diverseness of airlines, including budget carriers that other sites miss. It allows you to run into airfares for an entire month in one window, so you lot can choice the cheapest solar day to fly.
TripAdvisor Flights — They are a meta search engine, with the user-friendly option of clicking to compare results on other travel sites, including BookingBuddy, Hotwire, Priceline and Travelocity.
Google Flights — Efficient search engine with lots of peachy features like Skyscanner, only it doesn't allow you book flights.
find cheapest flight anywhere - pin on a map

Find the Cheapest Destination

If all you want to do is travel anywhere outside of your home land, then this is a great way to score some proficient flying deals. For instance, I had no plans to go to Ghana but when I saw the flight bargain for but $208, I knew I had to volume it!

Skyscanner has an "Everywhere" feature that allows you lot to find the cheapest flights from your home to anywhere in the globe.

Basically, type in your home airport and so type in Everywhere in the destination field. The search engine will show you the cheapest places you can fly to. In this example below where I searched for the cheapest destination from New York for those specific dates, I found flights from New York to Paris for $347 render!

Google Flights also has a similar feature. If you're up for an adventure and want to let fate make up one's mind where y'all go, then it's a good mode to travel on the cheap.

find cheapest flight anywhere - skyscanner lets you choose cheapest destination

Notice Out the Best Time to Book Your Flights

This research based on 1.v billion airfares found that the all-time fourth dimension to book a flying is said to be effectually 47 days in advance of your trip. When a flight opens for auction, fares will drop slowly but steadily until reaching a low point somewhere between 27 days and 114 days out.

If you're hoping to travel in peak summer, add a calendar month or ii onto these recommendations, and if you're traveling during low season it's more likely cheap fares will popular up closer to departure appointment. Prices tend to spring in the final month or two before departure, and so yous don't desire to cutting information technology too close.

how to find cheapest flight anywhere - airplane

Avoid Flying During Elevation Season

Another mode to save money on tickets is past flying during the off-flavor when in that location will be less need.

In North America and Europe, the cheapest time of year to fly is usually January through mid-April and Oct through early December.

The well-nigh expensive time to fly is usually peak summer: mid-June through mid-August. Also Christmas and New year's day'due south Eve.

It will besides vary a bit by the specific destination, especially around popular holidays. Fares within Europe during Easter (late Apr) tin can exist expensive, to Brazil during Carnival, and China for Chinese New Year aren't cheap.

find cheapest flights to anywhere - toy plane

Fly on Cheaper Twenty-four hour period/Fourth dimension of the Week

Airfares vary depending on the day of the calendar week, fourth dimension of twelvemonth, and holidays. It's always cheaper to fly during the middle of the week than on a weekend.

Fare tracker site Airfarewatchdog, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the two cheapest days of the week to wing. Friday and Lord's day are usually the near expensive days.

They've also said that flying during off-peak hours can save you lot a lot of money. Basic supply and demand will tell you that if anybody wants to fly at the same 60 minutes, information technology will be more than expensive. You'll ofttimes find the lowest prices for early morning or tardily evening departures.

Skyscanner lets you find the cheapest month to fly certain routes. Merely enter the "from/to" airports and go to the "whole month" tab and click on "cheapest month". You can also become an overview of airfares throughout the month and choice out the cheapest day to fly in that particular month.

To rails when and where is cheapest to wing, Hopper and Flyr also offering price analysis and track fluctuations — which is keen for airline geeks!

find cheapest flight anywhere - skyscanner lets you choose cheapest dates

Fly into Alternative Airports

Instead of flying to a identify with an expensive flying, fly somewhere nearby that is cheaper to get to.

For example, fly into London Stansted instead of Heathrow, or Long Beach rather than LAX to get cheaper deals. Sometimes traveling by bus to or from a different drome can salve you money on flights.

I've saved quite a lot past flying from Eindhoven rather than Amsterdam, and Girona instead of Barcelona. It may take more fourth dimension than flying direct, but it'south worthwhile if that means you're saving a hundred bucks.

how to find cheapest flight anywhere - airport

Try out Upkeep Airlines

I know, budget airlines don't take a skillful rep these days, but hey if you want to buy the cheapest flight possible, upkeep airlines are not a bad idea.

I've flown across Asia, Europe and the United states and saved tons of fourth dimension and money thanks to budget airlines. They are often thirty% cheaper than usual airlines. Now budget airlines are even offering cross-continental flights; for instance you tin can get cheap flights from the US to Europe from the US for equally low as $99 each mode on Norwegian Air!

Of grade, you lot'll have to compromise with less leg room, no meal service onboard or no seat resource allotment. Some budget airlines likewise have ridiculous rules. I once had to pay Ryanair $90 to become my boarding pass printed – how stupid was that?!

In general, when y'all're booking a budget flight, ever read the fine print and know the budget airline'due south requirements & restrictions.

how to find cheapest flights anywhere - budget airline

Check Dissimilar Routes and Book Flights Separately

Sometime you can salve hundreds just past making stops on a long-haul flying instead of flying straight. For instance, flights to Bangkok are ofttimes cheaper than flights to Myanmar. You can first catch a flight to Bangkok and fly with a upkeep airline such equally Air Asia to Yangon.

These days, the cheapest way to fly from US to Europe is via Kingdom of norway (on Norwegian Air), so consider flight to Oslo earlier catching a upkeep flight to elsewhere on continental Europe.

Be sure to spread out your flights and leave enough transit time between each flights! I've missed a few flights because of tight layovers and had to suffer for it. If your flights are not on the aforementioned airline, you will not get compensated if you miss your connecting flight.

How to Find the Cheapest Flights to Anywhere in the World

Notice "Hidden City" Flights

Y'all may accept noticed that some flights that connect in a metropolis you want to go to are cheaper than flights that fly direct to it. Unknown to many, y'all tin can actually book that cheap flight, hop off at your destination and not have the onward connection.

In that location is at present a web search engine which finds hidden city tickets for you. Skiplagged is a highly rated site, but information technology'due south currently being sued by United Airlines who is angry most this debatable hack.

You need to exist prepared to take some risks though, as not all flights allow you this. I've heard that Spirit Airlines really will ban you from flying with them if they find that you haven't taken your connexion.

You also need to brand sure that the plane really allows you to disembark at your destination, otherwise yous'll be wasting rather than saving money.

how to find cheapest flight anywhere - flying with kids

Use Alerts to Keep Track of Prices

Flight prices tin sometimes drop with time. Skyscanner has a price alerts service that notifies you lot as soon as the price goes up, or down. So, every time the price of the flight y'all want changes, they'll automatically send you lot an email.

Nigh of the time, price alerts are completely free and you tin change your alerts or unsubscribe at any fourth dimension.

For example, I fix a toll alert to monitor airfares from Amsterdam to Singapore a few months ago. The price finally dropped 3 months later and I immediately nabbed the flights. Saved myself $200!

Here'due south how to set a toll alert:

  1. Open the Skyscanner app or desktop homepage
  2. Search for the flying that you are interested in tracking
  3. Tap thebell icon in the bottom-left on app (or top-left on desktop)
  4. Tap 'Create' and you're all set! You lot will be notified with whatsoever price changes

Catch Error Fares on Deals/Promos Websites

To proceed yourself informed of the latest flight promotions, there are several websites these days that alert you when there are flying deals or error fares. They usually update the site with numerous deals a twenty-four hour period, and then information technology's all-time to subscribe to their newsletter to get the updates via email.

The promotions are very attractive and oftentimes just last for a brusk time period, so you accept to human activity fast! Note that some airlines don't honor error fares (like the $120 flight I booked on United Airlines that got voided), so don't make plans right later on booking them.

  • Fly4Free — My favorite site that notifies y'all of deals from effectually the world
  • Undercover Flying — Regularly updated airfare deals from both US and Europe
  • HolidayPirates — Europe-centric website with airfare and holiday deals from the Britain and Europe

find cheapest flight anywhere - airplane

Sign upwardly for Airline Mailing Newsletters

Airline newsletters often have featured offers not constitute elsewhere. These offers can range from upcoming flight sales to mileage giveaways. Airlines also often announce new routes via their newsletters and these usually involve very low introductory prices.

For instance, Air Europa is starting new routes to Puerto Rico from Europe and are offering airfares every bit low as $300 from Madrid.

find cheapest flights - airport

Join Frequent Flier Programs

Frequent flier programs are definitely one of the best ways to get complimentary flights or upgrades. Even if you lot don't fly frequently, yous should sign up for an airline's reward programme (I'll evidence you ways to become miles without flight below).

An brotherhood is a partnership amongst numerous airlines. When you join the frequent flier programme of a certain airline, you'll be able to earn miles from non simply that airline but as well its partner airlines.

Each alliance has its ain pros and cons. To decide which mileage program to join, consider which airline you fly with the near.

There are 3 main airlines alliances and their corresponding fellow member airlines:

  • One World: American Airlines, British Airways, Red china Pacific, Iberia, Qantas, Qatar Airways
  • Star Brotherhood: Air Canada, Air China, Avianca, Ethiopian, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines
  • Sky Squad: Aeroflot, Aero United mexican states, Air Europa, Air France, China Airlines, Delta, KLM

As I'm based in Amsterdam, I fly with KLM and Air France most often and and so I earn most miles on Sky Team Alliance.

find cheapest flights anywhere - boarding pass

Start Using Travel Rewards Credit Cards

In that location are lots of ways to use miles to find cheap flights without actually flying: sign upwards for credit cards that requite away lots of miles upon registration and shop at airline partner.

By having a travel credit card, you lot can hands pay for everything with the card and chock upwards to 36,000 miles a month, which you tin redeem for a flight to Europe!

Ii of the all-time travel rewards credit cards are the Chase Sapphire Preferred and British Airways Signature Carte. Both cards earn let yous redeem your purchase rewards points through their respective credit card travel portal for reward travel. Alternatively, you tin can also transfer your points to an airline travel partner on a 1:1 basis for an fifty-fifty better deal.

Nigh of these travel rewards credit cards give y'all around 50,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of using this carte.

how to find cheapest flights anywhere - travel credit card

What are your tricks for finding the cheapest flights to anywhere? Share with us here!


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