How to Find The Best Cheap Flights to Anywhere?

Finding an affordable flight that doesn’t break the bank is one of the biggest struggles every traveler constantly faces in their lives. Finding cheap flights is a daunting task that everyone stresses about, but with the right strategies, you can significantly cut down on travel expenses and any stress that arises. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or planning your first trip, this guide will help you navigate some of the most common problems found in booking flights and will give you the means how to find the best cheap flights to anywhere.

1. Be Flexible with Dates and Destinations

One of the best and most effective ways to find cheap flights is to be flexible with your travel dates and destinations. As prices can vary greatly depending on the time of year, day of the week, and even the time of day, trying to find the perfect price to go to a specific destination at a specific time will limit your chances of finding cheap affordable flights.

However, being flexible with your dates and where you want to go can open up a number of possibilities and allow you to discover the cheap flights you never knew existed. For example, if a flight to Tokyo, Japan costs too much in the summer, consider flying to Osaka in the winter instead. This will not only ensure your chances of going on a fun affordable trip, but you will also be able to avoid the majority of travelers who decide to travel during the peak season.

2. Book at the Right Time

When it comes to booking a flight, timing is absolutely crucial because the longer you wait, the price of plane tickets becomes even higher. While you can choose to purchase last-minute deals for flights trying to fill up seats on the plane, these deals are risky, but also limit your travel options extremely.

As such, if you want to know when the best time is to purchase your plane tickets you have to do it months in advance. For domestic flights specifically, it is recommended to do it at least one to three months in advance. For international flights, it is highly recommended to do it at least two to eight months in advance in order to get the best prices. When you choose to book your flights, some studies suggest that purchasing them in the middle of the week is cheaper than purchasing them on the weekend. However, this can vary widely depending on your flight.

3. Consider Alternate Routes and Layovers

Depending on where you are trying to fly to, it is sometimes cheaper to fly indirect routes with layovers rather than direct flights. Due to the undesirable nature and design of flights with indirect routes and long layovers, these types of flights can save you a significant amount of money if you do not mind waiting at the airport and have a longer travel time. However, some travelers use this to their advantage and take the opportunity of a long layover to explore the city or country they are in as a quick pit stop to see more of the world.

4. Leverage Airline Miles and Points

Travel credit cards and frequent flyer programs are a popular and very effective way to get cheap flights. As travel credit cards allow users to earn points for every purchase they make, they can potentially cash in those rewards for a significant discount or for a completely free flight if they have enough. While the types of rewards and the point earning ratio will be dependent on which credit card you sign up for, they are proven to be one of the best ways to get a cheap flight to the destination of your choice.

5. Use VPNs to Avoid Price Discrimination

As you are spending countless hours researching the best and cheapest flights for your upcoming trip, you might notice that some flight prices completely change after a few days of research. This is due to travel websites and airlines tracking your searches and increasing the prices to incentivize you to buy them for a higher price point. In order to combat this price discrimination, clearing your browser cookies or using incognito mode when you research flights can be a great method. However, in some cases, it is recommended to utilize a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to mask your IP address and get the best prices possible.

6. Book Directly with Airlines When Possible

While third-party websites can offer great deals, booking directly with airlines can provide travelers with more reliable pricing. Booking directly with airlines can also ensure travelers with quality customer service and flexibility in case of changes or cancellations. In fact, depending on the airline, some of them offer a price match guarantee should you find a cheaper flight within 24 hours of booking a flight with them. Before you book a flight, it may pay off if you find cheaper solutions to get that price match guarantee.

7. Consider Budget Airlines

Budget airlines are known for offering travelers significantly lower fares compared to full-service carriers. However, this usually comes at the cost of amenities and comfort, because budget airlines will charge you extra for things such as seat selection, priority boarding, bringing checked and carry-on luggage, and inflight meals and entertainment. If you believe you can handle being on a plane uncomfortably for a couple of hours then budget airlines may prove to be a great way to find cheap flights anywhere.

8. Consider Alternative Airports

Sometimes going to your go-to airport may not always prove to be the best option when it comes to finding the best cheap flights. Depending on where you are going, it is worth checking other airports in other cities and states to see if they offer cheaper fares. This strategy can work whether you are flying domestically or internationally because oftentimes heavily congested airports would charge more on plane tickets compared to less congested airports.

9. Look for Connecting Flights

Similarly to considering indirect flights with layovers, connecting flights can offer cheap flight costs due to their somewhat inconvenient design and nature. As connecting flights can involve multiple stops, changing airlines, and walking to different terminals, they can take longer than direct flights, and depending on what kind of connecting flight you book, the savings can be significant.

10. Purchase Your Ticket on Travel Tuesday

Travel Tuesday is a marketing term for the day after Cyber Monday and that is the day when travel companies offer huge deals on flights, hotels, cruises, and more. This day originated in 2017 when Hopper, an online flight marketplace, noticed that the Tuesday after Thanksgiving was the best day for consumers to book cheap flights for their upcoming trips. As a result, Travel Tuesday has become the official best day out of the entire year to purchase plane tickets and serves as one of the best options to ensure your chances of securing the cheapest flights to the destination of your choice.

How Do I Find the Lowest Fare on a Flight?

In order to find cheap flights, it requires a combination of flexibility, research, and knowing the right strategies to utilize. By planning ahead and considering all of your possible travel options from flying from different airlines to different airports, you can find the best and cheapest flights to the destination of your choice. While some of these strategies may require more effort than others, should you use some or all of these strategies, you can travel more affordably and explore new destinations without breaking the bank.