5 Ways to Find the Cheapest Flights Online
I’ve been asked many times by friends how I manage to get such cheap flight deals (long haul flights and short ones as well) and so I thought it might be a good idea to share some tips with you on my blog.
The way I’ve found cheap flights over the years has been a combination of different things. From getting tips from friends, to doing my fare share of travelling, and research online. As you will realise, it doesn’t take a genius to find good flight deals on the web, you just need to do some research and follow a few guidelines. I usually get my flights from the UK to Panama for about £450 return and flights from Manchester to other parts of Europe for less than £40 each return. If I can do it, you can definitely do it too! Here are some of the tactics that have worked for me.
1. Be flexible on dates
This first tip might seem like an obvious one, but the more flexible you are on dates, the more likely it is you will find a good deal. A general rule of thumb is to avoid flying on weekends (if you can), or if not, try booking a return on a Monday or Tuesday so at least you save on part of the journey. The best day to fly out is usually a Tuesday or a Wednesday, but it doesn’t always guarantee the lowest price.
2. Using the right search engine to book flights
I usually check Momondo.com, Skyscanner.com, Lastminute.com, Tripadvisor.com and an app called Hopper on my smartphone when I’m searching for flights. Don’t forget to try and look through the whole calendar month, especially on websites like Momondo, which will give you a graph with the dates when the flight is the cheapest. Hopper, is also a useful app to download. I discovered it last year and it has been a blessing in disguise, especially when I flew to Panama this past February to visit my family. What this amazing little app does, is help you find the best deal, and also tell you when is the best time to book the flight (i.e if you should wait a week or book now).
If I’m flying somewhere within Europe (i.e Manchester to Dublin), I usually look at the budget airlines websites directly such as Ryanair.com, Easyjet.com, Vueling.com, WizzAir, Norwegianair, etc for flights. The best thing to do is Google “Low cost flights from point A to B” (i.e Manchester to Dublin) first if you don’t know which budget airlines flies to Dublin, or whichever destination you are trying to go to. Google usually provides you with a very thorough list of the low cost airlines that fly to a certain destination so I would say it’s pretty easy to find.
3. Using Private Mode or Incognito Mode while browsing
Always search for flights on private mode or incognito mode while looking for flights. In Google Chrome or Safari, incognito mode is enabled by hitting Command (or “Control” if using PC), Shift “N”. For Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer users, hit Command (or “Control” if using a PC), Shift, “P”. This will open a new browser window where your information will not be tracked and raise flight prices.
4. Check if it’s cheaper to pay in other currencies
Before booking a flight, consider paying in another currency rather than your local currency displayed on the price. You can do this with a foreign credit card.
5. Don’t search for flights on weekends
It might seem odd that the day when you search for flights can affect the price, but it does. Most people look for flights during the evenings and weekends, so that’s when the prices tend to be the highest. The best day to look at flights is usually a Monday or a Tuesday.
If you would like to add any other tips on how to find cheap flights, please comment below.
