What is the best website to find cheap flights?

No single site is always cheapest. A metasearch site such as Gotoesy compares many booking sites and airlines at once and sorts results cheapest first, which saves you checking each one.

Do flight prices go up if you search a lot?

There is little evidence that searching raises prices. Price jumps usually mean the cheaper seats on that flight sold out.

Are budget airlines really cheaper?

Often, if you travel with only a small personal item. Add up bag, seat and other fees before you book, because they can make a budget fare more expensive than a regular one.

How to Find Cheap Flights: 15 Tricks That Actually Work

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Airfare is usually the biggest single cost of a trip, and it is also the one with the most room to save. Two people on the same plane, in the same row, can pay very different prices depending on when, where and how they booked.

None of the tricks below need special status or a points credit card. They are simple habits that experienced travelers use every time they book.

1. Be flexible with your dates

This is the most powerful trick of all. Moving your trip by a day or two, or flying midweek instead of on a weekend, often saves more than everything else on this list combined. Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are usually the cheapest days to fly. Read more in our guide to the cheapest day to fly.

2. Search a whole month, not one day

If your dates are open, look at prices across a whole month before you pick. On every Gotoesy route page, such as New York to Los Angeles, you can see the cheapest month to fly at a glance.

3. Compare several booking sites

Airlines, online travel agencies and fare sites often show different prices for the exact same flight. A metasearch site like Gotoesy checks many of them at once and sorts results cheapest first, so you do not need ten browser tabs.

4. Check nearby airports

Big cities often have more than one airport, and the cheaper one changes from week to week:

New York: JFK, LaGuardia and Newark
Los Angeles: LAX, Burbank, Long Beach, Ontario and Orange County
San Francisco Bay Area: SFO, Oakland and San Jose
Miami: Miami and Fort Lauderdale
Washington, D.C.: Reagan National, Dulles and Baltimore
Chicago: O'Hare and Midway

Search by city code (like NYC or WAS) to see every airport at once.

5. Book at the right time

For domestic trips, book about 1 to 3 months ahead. For international trips, about 2 to 6 months ahead. Leave it to the last week and you will usually pay more, not less.

6. Avoid peak weeks

Spring break, summer, Thanksgiving and Christmas push prices up everywhere. If you can travel in the shoulder seasons (late April to May, and September to early November), you will pay less and deal with fewer crowds.

7. Fly early in the morning

The first flights of the day are often cheaper and are the least likely to be delayed, because delays pile up as the day goes on.

8. Try one-way tickets on different airlines

A round trip on one airline is not always the best deal. Sometimes flying out on one airline and back on another costs less. Gotoesy shows one-way prices too, so it is easy to check.

9. Count the real total, not the headline fare

A cheap fare can turn expensive at checkout. Before you choose, check:

Bags: many budget airlines and basic economy fares charge for carry-on bags, not just checked ones.
Seats: seat selection can cost extra, especially if you want to sit together.
Changes: basic economy fares often cannot be changed at all.

A slightly higher fare that includes a carry-on can end up cheaper.

10. Consider budget airlines, carefully

Low-cost carriers can be a great deal if you pack light and do not need flexibility. Just add up the extras before you book and check which airport they fly into.

11. Use the 24-hour free cancellation rule

In the US, most tickets bought at least seven days before departure can be cancelled within 24 hours for a full refund. If you find a good fare, book it, and use the next day to make sure the rest of your plans work.

12. Search in private mode if you like, but do not expect miracles

Many travelers believe prices go up when you search the same route repeatedly. There is little hard evidence of this, but searching in a private window costs nothing. Much more often, a price change simply means the cheaper seats sold out.

13. Look at the whole trip cost

A cheap flight to an expensive city is not always a cheap trip. Gotoesy can add up flights, hotels and things to do for a rough total, so you can compare destinations before you commit.

14. Book the airport transfer in advance

Taxis from the airport can cost a surprising amount, especially abroad. A pre-booked airport transfer from Kiwitaxi has a fixed price agreed before you land, and a driver waits for you even if the flight is late.

15. Do not forget the rest of the trip

The money you save on flights goes further if the rest of the trip is planned well. Compare hotels, rental cars and things to do side by side before you book.

Start your search

Put these tricks to work: search your route on Gotoesy, try a few different dates and compare every booking site in one list.

Find cheap flights

Frequently asked questions

What is the best website to find cheap flights?: No single site is always cheapest. A metasearch site such as Gotoesy compares many booking sites and airlines at once and sorts results cheapest first, which saves you checking each one.
Do flight prices go up if you search a lot?: There is little evidence that searching raises prices. Price jumps usually mean the cheaper seats on that flight sold out.
Are budget airlines really cheaper?: Often, if you travel with only a small personal item. Add up bag, seat and other fees before you book, because they can make a budget fare more expensive than a regular one.