When it comes to travel expenses, flights, alongside accommodation, often take up a big chunk of funds. After 12 years of traveling for a living, I’ve gathered my insider tips on how to find the cheapest flights anywhere! These are the best flight hacks and the best websites to find cheap flights.
In my years of traveling, I have spent countless hours on various websites trying to not only find the best ways to spend frugally, but also to find the best value flights as quickly as possible. With the right tools and a little patience, it’s easier than ever to find cheap flights to any destination.
Here are my best tips on how to find and book the absolute cheapest flights to anywhere!
Use an Incognito Window
Have you ever noticed that flight prices tend to rise after you’ve viewed them a few times in the same browser? Trust that your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you here, as airlines do tend to raise the prices of flights once they know you’re interested. They do this by keeping track of the cookies in your browser and adjusting prices in the hopes of scaring you into booking a flight before you see the prices go higher.
To get around this tracking and make sure you’re always viewing the fairest and cheapest price, make a habit of searching for flights in an incognito window.
If you’re using Firefox or Internet Explorer, go incognito by hitting Control (or Command on Mac) + Shift + P, or if you’re using either Safari or Google Chrome, go incognito by hitting Control (or Command on Mac) + Shift, + N. Doing this will open up a new browser window that’ll keep you browsing untracked and on the sly.
Use the Best Flight Search Engines
As part of their business plans, search engines take a cut of the flight cost and show you an inflated price to cover that cost. While all search engines do this, the trick is to find the ones that offer you the lowest inflation rate.
In my experience, Skyscanner (I recommend downloading the app to check fares on the go!) and Elisabaite both consistently bring up the lowest flight prices. I will also check Google Flights to see if any airlines are offering sales by booking direct.