My basic philosophy when it comes to travel is to let the cheap flights determine where I go. Instead of deciding where and when I want to go, and then finding accommodations and flights, I will either keep an eye out for cheap flights during a timeline I am aiming to travel, or look for cheap flights to a specific location I want to go and be flexible with my timing.
There are a number of ways to find affordable flights, but here are my favorites:
Google Flights: Google flights is my #1 go to for finding flights. They have an incredible explore feature that lets you select where you are flying from, date ranges of when you are hoping to fly (such as a weekend in April, or 2 weeks in September), and then it will show you all of the flight routes available to you with the prices. It has a ton of filters to use to help narrow things down, like number of stops, airlines, and whether or not carry-ons are included in the price.
Scott’s Cheap Flights: This is a paid email subscription that sends cheap flight deals directly to your inbox. When you sign up, you select which airports you are interested in getting deals from (the ones you would be flying out from), and which areas you are interested in seeing deals to (like Europe, North America, Asia, etc). The emails provide links to a sample route with info on how to book. They also have an Elite subscription that sends Business class deals if you are looking for first or business class flights. I have found the vast majority of my super cheap flights through Scott’s cheap flights (and the rest through Google Flights). You can sign up for free, but you won’t get to control which deals you get sent, and you won’t get sent the best ones. If you are a serious traveler, I can’t recommend Scott’s Cheap Flights enough. The premium plan is $49/year and you can sign up here.
Travel Zoo:
Fare Drop
Pomelo Travel
Travel Zoo
Momondo
Sky Scanner
