One question I often get asked about travelling is, “How do you go about finding a great flight deal?”
There is a lot of advice out there on the art of finding the best airfare deal. If you have clicked on these articles, I’m sure you have read things like:
“Book your flight 54 days in advance!” or “Never book a flight on Friday!” or “Use the Google ITA Software Matrix!”
Sometimes these suggestions work and sometimes they don’t.
In general, when looking for flight deals you probably will have the best luck if you are flexible. If you can be flexible on details like dates, airports, and even destination locations, you can definitely find a great flight deal using the sites below.
My biggest frustration with some deal sites or search engines is that when you find a great deal and go to buy it, you can’t. When you click the referral link, either the fare no longer exists or the price has gone up considerably.
The 3 sites I am sharing with you are what I use to find great flight deals. There are definitely more out there, but the sites below are my personal favorites when it comes to providing up-to-date information about airfare deals.
Before we get started, there are 3 things you should know:
- These sites are best used when monitored. If you need to find a last-minute cheap ticket or have a very specific itinerary, these sites might not be the most useful for you, but they are still worth checking. I recommend following the blog of the site’s below or subscribing to their e-mails. This will help you monitor potential deals for future travel and pick up on trends like fare wars between airlines or general sales to certain destinations. Knowing and harnessing these trends have landed me affordable tickets.
- An ‘error fare’ is when the airline makes a mistake and posts ridiculously cheap airfare. Depending on the rules of the country and the airline, they don’t always have to honor this fare. Blogger, Nick Reyes, summed up error fares pretty well: “I view mistake fares like refundable lottery tickets: if I lose, I get my money back. If I win, I get the jackpot.” If you book an error fare, hold off on any other related bookings until your ticket is confirmed.
- The deals usually don’t last too long. If you see a deal that you want, book it immediately.
Here are my favorite 3 sites for finding a great flight deal:
1. theflightdeal.com
theflightdeal.com is one of the best sites out there for flight deals that originate in the United States. They list both major carriers and budget airlines. Each deal is listed as a detailed, but easy-to-read, blog post. They provide important information like how to book the flight, potential travel dates, and if the deal is still live.
2. secretflying.com
secretflying.com posts deals originating from all around the world. While their US-based deals often overlap with theflightdeal.com, this website is great for non-US-based travel. They list both major carriers and budget airlines. Deals are listed as blog posts that provide useful booking information. They also let you know if the deal is still live.
3. alltheflightdeals.com
alltheflightdeals.com is essentially a search engine that allows you to see all the latest flight deals from a variety of sources. You simply input the city or cities you want to fly from and the region and/or countries you want to fly to. You also have the option to filter deals based on their verifiable availability and if the flight is non-stop.
What sites do you use to find flight deals? Do you have a favorite? Let me know in the comments section below!