How to find the cheapest (round-trip) flights

For most people, the number one thing that holds them back from turning their travel dreams into a reality is the price tag. Usually, the biggest chunk of that cost is going to be your flight ticket(s)– especially for international flights.

Luckily, I’m going to share with you 9 tips to finding the absolute cheapest flights so that you will only be paying a fraction of what you might have before.

1. BE FLEXIBLE with Dates/Times

The words “be flexible” should be a recurring theme when you are searching for the cheapest possible flight deals. The first thing you should be flexible with are the dates and times of your flights.

As someone who works a full-time job Monday through Friday, I know that it might seem more convenient to take off and return home on the weekend or during specific times in the day like late at night after work, or early in the morning to get the most of your day. However, if you are willing to be more flexible with these things, the payoff will be well worth it.

Another factor to consider is how soon you may be booking. Oftentimes, the best deals are going to pop up out of the blue and may be for some time in the next few months which might require some short notice trip planning, but can save you up to 90% off the regular average price of tickets. (we will go over the best way to watch for these short-notice deals later on.)

2. BE FLEXIBLE with Your Destination

I know this you may have your heart set on a specific vacation destination– and trust me, I understand (Japan, I’ll see you someday), but you’ll find that if you are willing to entertain the possibility of venturing somewhere unexpected, you might just find the deal of a lifetime!

For example, this summer I know I want to plan a trip out of the country, but don’t particularly care which country I’ll be traveling to; Anywhere will do the trick to ease my wanderlust. So, I’ve been watching for flight deals from all around the world and have already found multiple amazing deals such as:

New York > Barcelona, Spain for $254 (nonstop, roundtrip)
New York > Bankok, Thailand for $457 (roundtrip)

3. BE FLEXIBLE with Your Airport (if possible)

Choosing the right airport can mean cutting the price of your tickets in half. It may require some extra transportation or planning to make it to a bigger airport near you, but if you have the means, it can save you big bucks in the end.

For me, this trick is especially relevant as I live closest to ALB-Albany International Airport, but usually prefer to book out of JFK International Airport in New York City. This means an additional 4 hours will be added to my travel time and perhaps a bus ticket into the city, but as someone who is known to be cheap, that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

As an example, I booked a flight to Lisbon, Portugal last August through JFK and it cost me a little over $500. The same dates and location cost me well over $1100 to fly out of Albany.

4. Use Multiple Price Comparison Sites

I’m sure you are familiar with the frequently advertised flight search engine websites such as kayak and expedia that claim to be a one-stop-shop when comparing airline prices and providing you with all the information you need to find the best flight deal.

While this is partially true and I would encourage you to use these sites before making a decision about your trip, it is important to remember that not all sites are the same and some may have certain limitations or advantages that others do not.

Therefore, it is in your best interest to do your research and use multiple price comparison sites before making a purchase. The few extra minutes of searching may just save you a couple hundred dollars in the end.

My personal favorite search engine for flights is Skyscanner because it has one of the widest variety of airline searches with its inclusion of budget airlines. Other I use include:

Momondo – Also searches budget airlines as well as major airlines and is recommended by a lot of avid travelers.
Expedia – Does a good job searching major airlines which is useful if you are part of any Frequent Flier programs with specific airlines like Delta or United (more on those later)
Google Flights – Especially useful when searching for multiple destinations to find the best deal.

5. Don’t Fly Direct/Nonstop

It may be tempting to buy that nonstop ticket to avoid the hassle and risks of layovers, but if cheap flights are what you are looking for, direct flights are often not the way to go. In fact, you may find that the cheapest flight have very long layovers or even multiple layovers before reaching your final destination.

Take advantage of these long layovers and explore your layover destination! Then it’s like two trips in one and if you’re like me, you’ll be happy to mark off another country from your bucket list as well!

6. Search for Single-Person Tickets

If you are traveling with someone else or a few people, you should still search for the tickets as a single person. This means you would just enter “1 adult” into the search field.

If you book as a unit, you are going to be receiving the highest price bracket available by default. Instead, you can book multiple single person tickets and then select seats that are next to each other later through the airline’s website or app.

Of course, with this option, you do run the risk of not being able to find available seats next to each other online after you have already purchased the tickets. It may still be a sacrifice you are willing to make if you are a group of adults. Additionally, you also have the option of asking the other passengers to switch with you. You might be surprised at the kindness of other travelers.

7. Take Advantage of Student Discounts

If you are a college student or between the ages of 18 and 25, be sure to look into the possibility of student discounts.

Some airlines provide student discounts directly and it usually only takes a quick google search to find which ones. These can end up saving you around 20-30% off. Some useful websites for student travelers are also:

8. Sign Up for Email Newsletters

…Or use some useful site deal apps with notifications. A lot of times, extremely low prices will pop-up suddenly and only be available for a limited amount of time. Therefore, it is crucial you are aware of those deals before they are gone.

These are some options I have used personally:

SecretFlying – This is my personal favorite and it’s FREE! I live by this app and receive notifications for flight deals and error fares out of JFK airport.
FareDrop – This is a paid mailing list that sends you roundtrip flight deals directly to your email. It costs $47.88 USD annually and was developed by travel vloggers Kara and Nate. I personally subscribe to this and would consider the deals well worth it, so long as you book even just one trip per year. It’s also nice bonus to contribute to my favorite travel vloggers as well!
Scott’s Cheap Flights– This mailing service can be free or upgraded to premium for $49 USD/year and is similar in it’s functionality to FareDrop. This one is recommended by many avid travelers and is especially good for US flight deals.

9. Consider Joining Frequent Flier Programs

Although I have not yet used this option personally, I know it is one of the best so I did not want to exclude it. There are a number of “travel credit cards” and airline rewards programs available that will enable you to rack up miles and points to use on your next trip.

I would recommend starting your research with other travel bloggers like Kara and Nate or Nomadic Matt who have had success with this method and explain it well!