Looking to find the best airline prices for your travel? These little known tips can help you save $100 or more on regular airfare! And they are so easy!
There is something about summertime that gets me chomping at the bit to take a vacation. We’ve all experienced the constant searches looking for cheap flights, and agonizing about whether to fly or drive somewhere.
Whether you are traveling far away, or need a cheap flight, I have some great tips on how you can fly anywhere in the world for less.
These proven tips have saved at least $100 off regular airline fares!
How to Find the BEST AIRLINE PRICES
Search for Flights Using Incognito Tabs or Windows
If you’ve ever tried to book a flight, then went back ten minutes later to find the price raised by $100, you’re not crazy. Using the cookies found in your browser, your rates will continue to go up when a search is repeated over and over.
To avoid this, search for flights using an incognito tab or window. Why does this work? When you use an incognito window, your cookies are being reset each time you open the window.
A reader asked how to use Incognito Mode: When in Google Chrome, go to the top right corner where there are 3 dots. Click on the dots and the menu that opens will offer ‘New Incognito Window’; click that. A window will open and it will say you are in an incognito window which means you aren’t identified by any cookies!
Use the Right Discount Websites
Not all search engines are created equal, and many of these sites get a cut from the airlines on every ticket they sell. In fact, some are even higher than booking directly with the airline!
Here are some of the sites that will give you the best results:
Sign Up for Email Deals and Alerts
Stop rechecking into a website over and over to see if the price has changed! Instead, subscribe to email, or text alerts whenever the price changes and save yourself some time.
This will help make sure you are keeping track of the price, and once you’ve booked, you can unsubscribe just as easily. It will also help you figure out what a reasonable price is for the flight you are looking for.
Be Flexible with Your Dates
There is a theory floating around that Tuesday is the best day to book, but the reality is that there is no cheap day of the week to fly. While leaving on a weekday could save you money, this won’t always be the case.
Instead, you should be looking at pricing for the entire month you want to travel in. Sometimes leaving just one week later could save you hundreds off your flight.
The more flexible you can be with your date and time, the more room you have to save and find the best airline prices.
Look Into Nearby Airports
When determining where you should fly out of, the best thing to do list start with a list of airports within an hour or two hours from you. Sometimes driving an hour and a half will save you hundreds off the cost of your flight.
If you are considering a nearby airport, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
First, if you fly out of a local airport, you may be able to avoid the cost of parking by taking an Uber or having a friend drive you to the airport. If the cost of driving to another airport is less than the cost to park there AND the cost of the gas, then it could benefit you to look into a nearby airport.
Booking a flight doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you follow these tips, you’ll never pay for an overpriced flight again!
Do you have a great tip or resource to help find the best airline prices? I want to hear from you! Please leave a comment below with your experience.
More Travel Tips:
Now where will you travel with your cheap flights? Maybe check out the Best East Coast Beaches or Best Beach Vacations for Families on the West Coast?
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Stacie says
This is definitely worth a bookmark! Flying is so convenient, but MAN do you pay for that convenience. They’ll rob you blind if they can!
Kim says
These are great tips. I’m flying out to a couple of places this summer and will use all your tips here. Thanks
Christie says
I never knew about searching for flight prices incognito! That is very valuable information! I’ll have to remember the sites you listed for getting the right discounts!
Megan says
Definitely going to try these sites! Thanks for sharing
robin rue says
I just scored a great deal on a flight to Charleston later this summer. I am loving all of your tips!
Toni Dash says
How did you do it Robin? Charleston seems to be a very expensive place to fly to no matter where you are located in the U.S.!
Jeanine says
Great to know! My friend is coming to visit me from Nebraska, to here in Canada and she found a really great, cheap round trip…. I wouldnt have a clue how to find the deal she did! I’ve never bought airline tickets.
Toni Dash says
Ask her and let me know! Always love tips on how to get cheaper flights!
Melissa Chapman says
I always try to get the least expensive flights when I travel. Your tips are great and I will try the sites you suggested.
Danielle Smith says
I’ve noticed in the past that some airports charge more than others in the area. I’ll definitely do more in-depth research and try to keep our dates flexible.
Vera Sweeney says
I almost always get so frustrated trying to book flights for great deals! Saving $100 or more is a huge blessing! Time to go incognito!
Gingermommy says
These tips are great! I am always worried if I am getting the best price and if there will be an issue after paying
Marcie W. says
We love to travel but airfare does tend to get expensive. I look forward to trying some of these awesome suggestions while booking our summer vacation plans!
Jen says
We’re planning a vacation right now, so this is great to know!
Jeni Hawkins says
I should totally sign up for discount emails!! I go to Expedia and Kayak, but opt out of emails. That’s a great idea and could save me tons!
jane says
How do you use an incognito tab? I’m not sure what that is or how to do it. Appreciate your advise.
Toni Dash says
When in Google Chrome, go to the top right corner where there are 3 dots. Click on the dots and the menu that opens will offer ‘New Incognito Window’; click that. A window will open and it will say you are in an incognito window which means you aren’t identified by any cookies; you are in stealth mode!
Maureen says
This is awesome. I need to remember this when I have to fly for travel again. It’s so hard sometimes to find the best airline prices.
Alyssa Brantley says
Thanks for these tips! Saving money on airline tickets is always a win!
Theresa says
I love the incognito trip. We saved quite a bit by booking our flights well in advance of our upcoming trip. I know that’s not always possible, but the earlier you get those tickets, the more you’ll save.
Toni Dash says
It’s funny I think you can get great flights early or at the last minute. It seems like the in between is the most pricey (if you have date flexibility at the last minute).
Dawn Lopez says
These are great tips especially for someone like me who travels a lot! I will definitely be using these ideas next time so I can save some of my travel budget for more fun activities.
Claudia Krusch says
Love your tips! So important to look for prices and best options!
valmg @ Mom Knows It All says
It’s always great to save momney on airfare. I have always found certain days to be less expensive than others. I do price research but some airlines don’t get included in those search engines and I have found cheaper pricing on their sites on more than one occasion.
Carol Cassara says
My husband and I love to travel and we’re definitely looking forward to cheaper flights so we can have more pocket money! I think these are awesome tips that we could really use!
janis says
We travel a lot and I thought I knew how to shop for flights. Learned so much! Bookmarking now for future reference as well as sharing with my family.
brianne says
I so needed to read this post as I am in the midst of booking our summer travels. These are great tips!
Krystel | Travel on a Budget says
Google flights has one of the best algorithms there is for flight searching. I love the incognito tip too
Jodi says
Those are great tips! I honestly never know how to get a good rate on a flight. I am bookmarking for future reference. 😊
Sherry says
I need to try using the incognito window. We aren’t flying any time soon but I will definitely keep these great tips in mind.
krystal says
I rarely fly because I find it so expensive, however, you’ve given me some actionable ideas to change that!.
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
These are great tips! I want to go book a trip now!
Jocelyn @ Hip Mama's Place says
I haven’t heard of incognito. These are all valuable tips for anyone who is looking to save $$ on airfares!
Monica Sharma says
Great post. Your tips are really very helpful to all the readers. I got to know new things from it like especially using the incognito window which I was unaware of. Keep sharing such interesting posts.