How to Get Cheap Flights and Save Money (Still Works in 2021)
Airlines and booking agencies continuously improve their technology and algorithms to boost profits — which makes flights much more expensive. They can easily tell the country that you’re booking from and gather your personal information to cause price fluctuations. Because of this, it has become much harder to find cheap airfares, however, there are still some ways around it.
After testing several money-saving methods to see which are still relevant, I found that the easiest way to get cheap flights is to use a VPN. A VPN allows you to change your IP address to another location while keeping your browsing activity anonymous — this way, you can browse flight deals from around the world without booking sites tracking your data and increasing prices.
My team and I tested over 100 VPNs to see which works best for saving money on plane tickets. Based on the results, I’ve put together a list. My top recommendation is ExpressVPN; it has a huge server network and is super secure, so your real location will never be exposed to travel sites. You can even try it risk-free with the 30-day money-back guarantee.
Get Cheap Flights with ExpressVPN Today!
Ways to Get Cheap Flights (Tested in October 2021)
1. Use a VPN to access worldwide fare deals
VPNs allow you to browse flights from different countries by changing your virtual location. It gives you access to a private network of servers, available through an app. When you connect to one of the VPN’s servers, your IP address is switched out for one in the new location. This tricks booking sites into thinking you’re browsing from somewhere else — so you won’t get inflated fares just because of your location.
Travel sites also use your device data to track you and calculate the price you see on flights. This too can be prevented with a VPN; when you visit a site, it encrypts the information put out by your devices, such as your IP address and location. It keeps you completely anonymous while you browse, so booking sites can’t use your data to increase ticket prices.
You’ll often find better flight deals in lower-income countries like Mexico and India than you will in higher-income countries, such as the US or Norway. With a VPN, you can quickly compare rates from around the world by simply changing your virtual location.
Downloading a VPN is super easy and can help you save money on flights within minutes. Many VPNs require a subscription — however, you’re not required to sign up for a long-term contract. My top recommendation, ExpressVPN, lets you choose between monthly, 6 months, and yearly subscriptions. It even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try ExpressVPN out for yourself completely risk-free. If you’re not satisfied, you can always get a full refund.
During my tests, I noticed the US consistently had some of the priciest tickets. I decided to look at a flight between Chicago and New Delhi — first without a VPN, then while connected to India. As soon as I used the VPN, Skyscanner’s “cheapest flight” dropped from $715 to $651. What’s more, the booking site suddenly had more airline options for me to choose from, resulting in cheaper flight deals.
My tests revealed that booking sites won’t show you every airline available — what you see depends on your location
Save Money on Flights With ExpressVPN!
2. Clear cookies and go incognito
Clearing your cookies often prevents booking sites from tracking you and raising ticket prices accordingly. Cookies are pieces of data stored in your browser based on your internet use. Websites analyze cookies to create a digital profile for you and determine your location— this information determines the price you’ll see for a flight.
It isn’t difficult to clear your cookies and only takes a few seconds. I use Chrome as my browser and found the option under Chrome > Clear browsing data, which pulled up the option for me to clear browsing history and cookies/data (so travel agencies can’t use this information to raise fares).
I recommend clearing your cookies often, especially when revisiting a booking site multiple times
You may have noticed that the more you revisit a site to look at a ticket, the higher the fare becomes. This is because travel sites use your browser’s history feature to analyze your online habits and see which flights you’re interested in. Raising prices creates a sense of urgency and pressures you to book immediately before fares go up even higher. Even a simple page refresh can cause the price to increase!
To avoid fluctuating rates, I advise browsing in Incognito mode (Chrome), or Private mode (Safari). Using Incognito mode allows you to browse sites without them analyzing your previous internet use. This offers a degree of privacy, however, it won’t fully hide your geo-location or private data. For this reason, I recommend downloading a VPN to completely block trackers.
Keep your browser history fresh by going Incognito and regularly clearing your cookies
The shortcuts for enabling Incognito mode are the same in Safari and Chrome — simply hit Command (Control for PC) + Shift + N. If you’re using Firefox or Internet Explorer, hit Command (Control for PC) + Shift + P. For older versions of OS X, navigate to “Safari” in the menu bar and click “Private Browsing”. This opens a new browser that doesn’t track your information, preventing airlines and travel sites from giving you inflated fares.
3. Check flight comparison sites
Some of my favorite flight comparison sites include Skyscanner, Kayak, and Expedia. They’re easy to use; you just enter the details of when and where you’re flying, and you’ll be presented with a number of fares. This lets you view each in terms of price, layover times, stops, and so on. Flight comparison sites won’t present Southwest Airlines in their list of routes. This is a budget airline, oftentimes offering low prices — I advise also checking Southwest’s website to make comparisons before booking your trip.
Other popular sites check out:
Thrifty Nomads– always on the hunt for the latest deals, tips, and tricks for traveling on the cheap
Kiwi– its user-friendly map feature lets you compare fares between different destinations across the world
Momondo– it searches a massive database of fares and almost always finds the cheapest price
Scott’s Cheap Flights– a useful error-fare and sale locator (see tip 11)
CheapOair– this flight comparison site sometimes offers promo codes to provide even more savings
Airwander– a site that gives you savings in stopover flexibility — an easy way to see more for less money (see tip 10)
JetRadar– unlike many search engines, this one also includes budget airlines
Google Flights– an easy-to-use tool for quickly locating flights — although, usually not for the best price available
Keep in mind that each flight comparison site has different deals to offer, so I’d recommend comparing a few before booking. For instance, I found the exact same flight on Kiwi and Skyscanner — however, they had differing prices. Skyscanner offered a roundtrip ticket for Finnair between Stockholm and Moscow for $245, while Kiwi listed it for $306.
Flight comparison sites don’t always have the same rates — so compare as many as possible
You can also use Cheap Flight Finder to quickly compare fares between flight comparison sites. It works similar to other travel sites; you just enter in the details of when and where you’d like to travel. Then, it presents you with a list of flight comparison sites and budget airlines offering the same trip — plus what they’re charging for it.
Instead of booking directly through Kiwi, I found an even cheaper price on the same trip through Cheap Flight Finder
Another way to save money is by using these sites to mix and match airlines and stopovers. Skyscanner combines different airlines between departing and connecting flights to find you the best deal possible. I found out that by flying with United and Lufthansa, versus only United for both legs of the trip, would save money.
If you’re flexible with which airline you fly, it can oftentimes save money on roundtrip tickets
4. Consider budget airlines
You’ll usually find flights for much cheaper with budget airlines. These are sufficient for short, quick flights as they typically don’t include many amenities like meals, seat selection, or baggage check. Popular budget airlines from across the world include:
US
Canada
East Asia/ Russia
Southwest
Swoop
Air Asia
Frontier
Flair Airlines
JeJu Air
Spirit
Porter
Peach Air
Allegiance Air
Air Canada Rouge
Scoot
JetBlue
WestJet
Aeroflot
Virgin America
Sunwing
Lion Air
Sun Country Airlines
Air Transat
Spring Airlines
Wow Air
Nok Air
Europe
Primera Air
VietJet Air
EasyJet
Jetlines
Cebu Pacific
RyanAir
Hong Kong Express
Australia/ New Zealand
German Wings
JetStar
T’Way Airlines
Air Baltic
Virgin Australia
AirBaltic
Wizz Air
SkyExpress
Vueling
Middle East
SpiceJet
Africa
Latin America
Air Arabia
Kulula
VivaAerobus
Jazeera Airways
FastJet
InterJet
FlyDubai
FlyAfrica
Volaris
Flynas
Mango
GOL
FlySafair
You can stay on top of their latest deals by signing up to receive regular notifications. These alerts are usually sent through social media and Email. Whenever there’s a last-minute or seasonal discount offered by budget carriers, you’ll be one of the first to know!
When I was looking for a trip from Berlin to Mallorca, I found it was unbelievably cheaper to book with Ryanair. Not only that, but the flight was direct and much quicker than the one offered by Air France.
By choosing Ryanair, you’d not only save on money but also time as there’s no layover (like with Air France)
Budget airlines use money-saving methods which are easy to overlook if you’re not careful. A few points to consider when booking budget:
Baggage– avoid unexpected costs by reading the terms and conditions of your trip. Look to see if checked baggage is included, or if you’ll have to pay separately for this. Be sure to follow the airline’s exact measurement guidelines for the height, weight and width of your baggage — otherwise, you’re likely to face some heavy fines.
Airport location– sometimes budget airlines fly in or out of smaller airports, located further out of town. Be sure to double-check the specific airport to avoid inconvenience.
The fine print– budget airlines have to make their money somehow, and they usually do it with fees and upcharges. For instance, if you forget to check-in and have to do so at the airport, Ryanair will charge you for it. Another example is Spirit Airlines who charges for all beverages including soft drinks, juices, and even water.
5. Be flexible on times, dates, and destinations
Choose a flight during a time when most people won’t want to travel. Consider flying on holidays, weekdays, and low seasons for your destination. Plane tickets for these dates prove to be significantly lower than those during the more desirable travel days (weekends, Christmas break, etc. ).
Off-peak hours also have the lowest prices. Most travelers try to avoid super early flights, between 5 a. m. and 7 a. The same goes for overnight or “redeye” flights departing after 8 p. m.
Unfortunately, there is still some inconsistency in this and it can be difficult to predict when flights will be the cheapest. However, I found that some flight comparison sites will give you a broad overview of the cheapest dates to fly. For example, you can do this with Skyscanner by following these simple steps:
Navigate to
Select “one way”. Even if you need roundtrip tickets. This just makes it easier for you to look at rates for individual dates before booking the complete trip.
Click to view the daily prices. Instead of entering specific dates under “Departure”, select “Whole month”, then “Cheapest month” to see which dates are cheapest to fly each month.
Save money on your flight! Repeat this process for your return flight for roundtrip savings.
Now, repeat for your return flight for savings on your roundtrip ticket
If you’re flexible on your destination, you can save even more on travel expenses. Peak seasons vary from one location to another. So if you’re not set on your destination (e. g. for work or family reasons), you can begin by checking the best available deals for the time you want to travel — then choose your trip accordingly.
Kiwi makes this process easy — you just enter your travel dates, departure city, and “Anywhere” in the destination box. Then, you’re presented with a map, showing you where in the world you can travel for the cheapest rate. Skyscanner, Momomdo, and Google Flights also offer a similar feature.
I tested this with Kiwi, searching for the best deal from my location (Costa Rica) during the dates May 13-20. I found out that the cheapest place for me to travel during these dates was to Cancun for $247 roundtrip.
Check rates from around the world to see which are at lowered or discounted prices
6. Know when to book
Airlines have created a fluctuating price system based on the specific timeframe in which you book tickets. Reserving tickets too far in advance can sometimes end up costing you almost as much as waiting last minute.
According to a study conducted by CheapAir, there’s a “Prime Booking Window, ” for domestic travel which is the ideal time to purchase your low-cost ticket. The research suggests that the perfect time to buy a domestic plane ticket is between 20 and 115 days before departure.
However, for international travel, it’s advised to purchase your ticket between 2. 5 and 6 months in advance (according to a separate study by CheapAir). Additionally, when booking trips around holidays, it’s best to buy your ticket far in advance — I advise booking an additional month or two in advance as demand for these dates is going to be much higher.
When traveling to a destination during off-season, you can find the best savings by booking your ticket closer to the departure date. During these times of low tourism, airlines are usually left with a lot of empty seats — so, they drop rates significantly at the last minute in an attempt to get more sales.
7. Purchase tickets individually
Booking flights for groups can cost you more money than booking tickets separately. Airlines typically give the same ticket price for every seat in the group, even if some are cheaper than others. For instance — if I reserve 3 tickets: a window seat ($300), middle ($200), and aisle ($250) — I’d most likely be charged $300 for all 3 tickets since it has the highest price point.
You can easily get around this by purchasing individual tickets and choosing your seats afterwards. However, you can’t book individual tickets for children, as they require an accompanying adult to fly.
But if you’re booking a multi-leg journey, I recommend getting all of the legs on one ticket — this ensures that you’re not liable for rescheduling expenses for your remaining trip, should one of the legs fail.
8. Use airline booking ploys
There are a few loopholes that can save you money when booking a flight. I don’t condone the breaking of laws or rules — I recommend checking that you’re not breaching a contract and consider any penalties that may follow. This isn’t always an issue, as some airlines have failed to include information regarding booking ploys in their carrier agreement.
That being said, these two loopholes are pretty straight-forward and difficult for airlines to penalize:
Throwaway Tickets
Usually, you can get a roundtrip ticket for significantly cheaper than one way. This is a major money-saver if you plan to move abroad or will be staying in another country for an extended period. All you have to do is book a roundtrip fare and “throw away” your return ticket. However, this only works if you board the first flight — so if you aren’t present for the first trip, the airline will likely cancel the return ticket.
Before booking a one-way ticket, check to see if roundtrip will save you money and skip the return flight
Hidden City Tickets
With this method, you’d book a flight with a layover in your desired destination and end your trip at this stop. Since ticket prices vary on the popularity of the destination, there are times this can save you money. Plus, it’s almost impossible for airlines to penalize because travelers regularly miss flights. Just note that it doesn’t work with checked baggage since your luggage will end up at the final destination.
Skiplagged automatically finds these deals for you, when you enter your departing city and desired destination. For example, I looked at a trip from Seattle to Dallas. Skiplagged showed me that it was cheaper to book a ticket from Seattle to Phoenix with a layover in Dallas. I compared the same trip on Kiwi, but with Dallas as the endpoint of this journey which turned out to be $62 more expensive.
The same leg was cheaper when it was connected to a flight with the end destination in Phoenix
9. Use points to fly for free
As one of the most uncomplicated ways to save money, you can sign up for rewards programs that earn you free trips. These programs are typically offered by airlines, as well as some credit cards.
As an example, Southwest Airlines has a program called Rapid Rewards that gives you points each time you fly. These points never expire; when you’ve collected enough, you can convert them into free flights!
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, you earn points through your spending that can be applied to your next flight. After spending $4000 with your card in the first 3 months, you will have already earned $1000 worth of points. That’s enough to cover the price for most international flights!
The Chase Sapphire card also includes these travel benefits:
80, 000 rewards points (worth $1, 000) when you reach the required $4, 000 spending in the first 3 months with your card
Earn up to $50 in grocery store credits within your first year after opening a new account
Double points earned on money spent at restaurants worldwide (includes dining in, takeout, and qualifying delivery)
Double points earned on travel expenses worldwide (includes airfare, hotels, taxis, and trains)
5x points earned on Lyft rides
Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards
No foreign transaction fees
No travel blackout dates or restrictions on airlines booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Travel accident insurance, roadside assistance, and auto rental collision damage waiver
Travel and emergency assistance
Lost luggage reimbursement and baggage delay insurance
Complimentary DashPass subscription
Trip delay reimbursement and trip cancellation insurance
Exclusive access to events and experiences
10. Plan your own layover
Making multiple-day layovers can sometimes save you hundreds on roundtrip flights. This is a great money-saver if you’re flexible with time and are interested in combining multiple destinations into one vacation.
Keep in mind — this method saves money on flights only — you’ll likely accrue additional costs for accommodation, food, and other travel expenses.
Airwander is a travel site that lets you plan your stopovers as a way to save money and enjoy seeing a new location while doing so. You just enter where you’re traveling to and the site presents you with money-saving layover destinations.
By taking a 3-day detour in Auckland, you can save $375 roundtrip between New Zealand and France
11. Look for error fares
You can often find error fares on social media groups, online forums, and websites like Secret Flying. These are mistakes made by booking sites and airlines offering incredibly low prices on their flights — usually a result of human error, such as a typo or misunderstanding. It’s helpful to bookmark a few of these pages to ensure you’ll never miss a deal. When you come across error fares, it’s best to act immediately as companies catch these mistakes quickly.
I advise checking Secret Flying daily to ensure you don’t miss out on the latest errors — it takes seconds
Some other popular sites for finding error and sale fares are Scott’s Cheap Flights and Jack’s Flight Club (for flights from Europe or the US). Both have organized teams that work together in locating the cheapest flight deals found online. You just sign up with your Email and departure location and you’ll receive regular newsletters with the lowest priced tickets available.
These subscriptions are free, however, they send exclusive offers to premium members — Scott’s Cheap Flights offers its premium membership for $49/ per year with a 14-day free trial.
Should you encounter one of these deals, be aware that the airline reserves the right to cancel and refund your trip at any time — so I recommend waiting at least 2 weeks before making further travel arrangements. However, this is rarely the case.
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How a VPN Can Help You Get Cheap Flights
A VPN gives you access to cheaper airfares by disguising your personal information and identity to travel companies. It provides you a new IP address and redirects your browsing activity through a server in another country (of your choosing). Plus, it encrypts your internet activity and uses additional security protocols to ensure you’re completely anonymous.
Various factors, such as the economy, political/current events, and the airline’s origin, cause airfares to be different in each country. Since it’s impossible to be in every country at once, a VPN lets you buy the cheapest airfares from different countries by changing your virtual location, so you never have to leave your house!
To see if VPNs truly can help you find cheaper flights, I recorded the price of a flight without a VPN (I’m located in the US); then I looked at the ticket with ExpressVPN in 19 different countries. I used 2 flight comparison sites (Kayak and Skyscanner) and only noted prices from the same flight — so you can see that the rates fluctuate as a result of simply changing server locations.
Without using a VPN, I would have paid the highest price available for this fare ($665 in the US). However, I found the cheapest ticket in Switzerland for $604.
The roundtrip flight recorded is from Tokyo to Milan (travel dates: June 9-17, 2021) via Emirates airlines
Best VPNs for Finding Cheap Flights in 2021
1. ExpressVPN — Tons of Servers to Access Low-Cost Flights Worldwide
Compare flight prices in 90 countries across 3, 000 servers
Military-grade encryption, a kill switch, and DNS/IP leak protection ensure airlines and booking sites can’t detect where you’re browsing from
Ultra-fast servers so you don’t miss out on the newest flight deals
Easy-to-use apps for hassle-free flight comparisons
5 simultaneous device connections to make side-by-side flight comparisons
30-day money-back guarantee
24/7 live support
Works with: Kayak, Google Flights, Skyscanner, Travelocity, Expedia, Travelzoo, OneTravel, and more
Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, routers, and more
ExpressVPN allows you to browse cheap flights from across the world with its massive server network, covering 90 different countries. During my tests, I looked on Expedia at a flight from Ho Chi Minh to Sydney. Before using a VPN, the flight was $3, 108. Next, I connected to ExpressVPN in Vietnam (which is thousands of miles from me). This time, I found the same flight for less than half the price. You’ll never have to pay full price for a flight!
After connecting to a server in Vietnam, I saw a significant price difference
Your privacy is protected at all times by ExpressVPN — so airlines can’t use your data to inflate flight prices. It keeps you anonymous with 256-bit encryption, and a built-in DNS and IPv6 leak detection test. I decided to test for leaks with an independent tool — it didn’t find any whatsoever.
Even if your connection drops, you’re covered by ExpressVPN’s automatic kill switch. It ensures your personal information and location are hidden from booking sites so you’ll always get the cheapest flight deals.
You can quickly compare fares between multiple countries with ExpressVPN’s superfast servers. I ran speed tests on 8 different locations (5 in Europe, 2 US cities, and 1 in Australia). My connection never dropped below 52 Mbps — that’s more than enough to prevent long loading times when you visit booking sites, so you won’t ever miss out on a deal!
A small con I found with ExpressVPN is that it’s a bit more costly than I expected. However, I found a way to save money on your subscription — you can get it for 49% off to make it more affordable.
To see if it’s right for you, you can try ExpressVPN risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. I wanted to be sure you can trust this policy, so I requested a refund using the 24/7 live chat. After the agent and I chatted briefly about my experience, she issued my return. When I checked my bank account 3 days later, I already saw the refund.
Get Cheap Flights with ExpressVPN Now!
2. IPVanish — Lightning-Fast to Quickly Compare Cheap Fares
1, 900 servers in 70 countries to access cheap flights around the world
Highest level of encryption, a kill switch, plus DNS/IP leak protection so you’re true location is never exposed to booking sites
Superfast speeds so you can quickly snag the cheapest fares
Intuitive interface makes it easy to set up and find low-cost plane tickets
Unlimited simultaneous device connections to easily compare rates
Compatible with: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Windows Phone, Linux, and Chromebook
IPVanish is impressively fast so you won’t face any loading times when you visit booking sites. I tested 6 different servers across the globe. With each, my connection remained stable and I recorded an average of 50. 72 Mbps. You only need 5 Mbps for heavy browsing activity — so you can quickly change server locations and hop across booking sites to compare fares.
Its server network is super reliable for helping you find cheap tickets. I tested this by connecting to Mexico, Vietnam, Germany, and the UK — I found the best deal in Berlin; the same flight was $101 cheaper. No matter how far the server was located from me, I never had an issue using it to find local deals in other countries. You’ll always have access to the world’s best deals on flights, no matter where you are.
I used a German server for instant savings on a roundtrip ticket from San Diego to Amsterdam
Travel sites have no way of seeing your actual location since IPVanish keeps your IP address and personal information private. It keeps your browsing activity anonymous with 256-bit encryption combined with a zero-logs policy and IP/DNS leak protection. I even tested for leaks and was relieved to find there were none. This shows that you’re never at risk of your true location being revealed to travel agencies — meaning, they won’t inflate prices based on where you browse from.
I was a bit disappointed to see I couldn’t use cryptocurrency to pay for IPVanish. However, this didn’t end up being much of an issue as it accepts most credit cards — I ended up using my PayPal account to sign up.
You can even try IPVanish risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. So if you find it’s not for you, you’re entitled to a full refund. After booking my flights, I decided to test this by requesting my return via live chat. The agent asked me a few questions concerning customer satisfaction. Within 5 minutes, she approved the refund — I received the full payment back in my account 4 days later.
Get Cheap Flights with IPVanish Now!
3. Cyberghost — Thousands of Servers for the World’s Best Flight Deals
7, 190 servers so you can compare ticket prices in 90 countries
User-friendly interface for quick and easy access to cheap flights
Highly secure with a kill switch, military-grade encryption, and IP/DNS leak protection, so travel companies will never pick up on your true location
7 simultaneous device connections
45-day money-back guarantee
Compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Roku, and more
CyberGhost lets you compare fares from almost any country in the world with its huge server network. I tested it by connecting to 5 different locations until I found the cheapest deal on a flight from Sydney to Tokyo. While using a UK server, Expedia gave me an $82 savings on the same trip. With access to fares in 90 countries, you’ll never get stuck paying full price.
It took me just a few minutes to connect Cyberghost to a UK server — afterwards, I found the same flight for cheaper
The tracker-blocking feature prevents increased prices that occur from revisiting booking sites. Enabling this is easy — I found it under the app’s “Connection Preferences” in its settings. You just have to click “Block Online Tracking”. This prevents websites from collecting your data, so they have no way to know you’ve been eyeing a particular ticket. Meaning, you’ll always get the lowest offer available.
Multiple security protocols keep your information hidden from airlines and booking sites, so you won’t see inflated prices. Cyberghost boasts IP/DNS leak protection, so I decided to test this with a leak detector — there were zero found. Its military-grade encryption allowed me to browse airline sites without my real location ever being revealed. This means you’ll have access to the cheapest tickets the world has to offer.
I wasn’t too impressed with the layout of Cyberghost’s desktop interface, since it was a bit bulky. However, this is just a minor complaint as it did not affect my ability to get low-cost rates from around the world.
If you’re feeling unsure, you can always try Cyberghost before fully committing with its 45-day money-back guarantee. I decided to test this policy after 23 days by contacting a representative to make my request. She asked me some questions and was happy to process the return. Before a week had passed, I received the money back in my account.
Get Cheap Flights with CyberGhost Now!
4. Private Internet Access — User-Friendly to Easily Compare Fares
Get access to 29, 650 servers in 70 countries to find the best prices on flights
Easy-to-use apps with minimal setup time, so you can start finding cheap flights immediately
MACE blocks trackers so you won’t get inflated prices when you revisit travel sites
256-bit encryption, a kill switch, plus IP/DNS leak protection keeps your information discreet
10 simultaneous device connections to check flight deals with ease
Compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
PIA’s extensive server network gives you plenty of countries to compare for cheap flights. During my tests, I looked at a flight from London to Miami, then decided to try PIA’s London server to see if it gave me a better deal — I found a similar flight (with a slightly different return flight) for $31 cheaper. With so many locations to choose from, you’ll always get the best price.
When looking at flights to or from London, I found the best deals by connecting PIA to a London server
Mace blocks trackers so booking sites won’t raise ticket prices when you revisit a site. To test this out, I located a cheap flight on Kayak, closed my browser, then reopened it after a few minutes. Next, I navigated back to search for the same trip. It was as if the site was presenting the ticket offer for the first time — at the same low price, I was initially given. You won’t ever have to settle for inflated fares!
The PIA app is easy to use and is compatible with just about any device. It only took me a few minutes to download it on my MacBook. Once it was installed, I could quickly switch between server locations to compare ticket prices. It worked just as well with my iPhone 8. You can shop for cheap tickets from anywhere — even on the go, with your mobile phone!
I found that PIA’s speeds are not always consistent. However, fast servers aren’t essential for browsing booking sites. I found it helps to disconnect and reconnect to another location if you notice a slow connection.
The best way to see if it’s right for you is to try PIA for 30 days with its money-back guarantee. I can confirm that this policy is reliable, as I tested it myself. The entire process was painless, and I had the money back within a week of requesting my refund.
Save Money on Flights With PIA Now!
5. PrivateVPN — Quick Setup Gives You Instant Access to Cheap Flights
100 servers in 60 countries to access cheap flights from anywhere
Instant setup and user-friendly design so you can begin hunting for bargains without hesitation
256-bit encryption, a k
How to Get Insanely Cheap Flight Tickets: 7 Airline Hacks That …
Planning a trip abroad has never been easier. You can check out every aspect of your holiday online, and the flights are no exception. Most travelers head to a flight comparison site, enter a destination, and begin poring over results. Everyone likes uncovering a cheap flight ticket or two!
Once you find your cheap flights, you must move fast. Sometimes it feels like the more you check the flight price, the more it increases. Are airlines tracking your interest and raising the fare?
Read on to find out how you can find insanely cheap flights almost every time.
How Do Airlines Choose Cheap Flight Tickets?
There are several common misconceptions regarding flight prices and how airlines gauge demand. Most ideas center around the idea of tracking. Airline companies track your online movements and ramp up the ticket costs as soon as you visit the site, using cookies to keep tabs on you. Could that be true?
Do Airlines Use Cookies to Increase Prices?
The idea that airlines and flight comparison sites use cookies and third-party trackers to gauge interest-specific routes isn’t new. Understandably, no airline has ever confirmed that this practice is real. Similarly, no price comparison site will confirm that they actively gouge their customers—it would be a savage act of terrible PR.
The world’s most popular flight comparison site, Skyscanner, maintains a document stating the opposite. The Skyscanner statement comprehensively denies that they use cookies to refine flight prices. Other sources corroborate the flight comparison sites.
“If the airlines were to raise prices because of browser cookies (targeted individually), there would be air travel whistle-blowers and senators running to microphones for legislation to prevent it, ” says FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney. “What people see when they shop multiple times, and prices are changing is a reflection of inventory changes, data caching techniques and the fact that prices generally get more expensive closer to the departure date, even within a day. ”
Airfarewatchdog flight analyst Ricky Radka also confirms that “What happens to make people think the airlines are tracking the search, is that the closer it gets to the departure date, the more people look—which is when airfare will increase. ”
It doesn’t always feel like that, though. Prices appear to change within minutes, much to the chagrin of consumers on the hunt for insanely cheap flights.
Airlines Do Use Dynamic Pricing and User Profiling
For all the airlines like to deny how they use cookies against potential customers, there are some strong indications otherwise.
For instance, in 2018, airline revenue management software provider, PROS, confirmed that many of their clientele now use dynamic pricing.
Dynamic pricing structures do consider user location, customer accounts, previous flight data, shopping trends, and more, to create specialized individual flight prices that differ from customer to customer. PROS clientele includes Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, Qantas, Emirates, Southwest, and many more.
Currently, each airline has just 26 fare classes. That’s one for each letter of the alphabet (literally). Airlines can update the prices for each fare class four times per day for domestic flights, and hourly for international flights.
The current flight pricing structure was put into place in 1978, after The Airline Deregulation Act. However, airlines are finding it difficult actually to shift from that system—but that time is now.
Dynamic Flight Pricing Leads to Price Discrimination
There are more than a few people voicing concerns regarding dynamic fare pricing. One of the biggest issues dynamic pricing presents is the tracking and grading of individual customers, which will undoubtedly lead to flight fare discrimination toward any number of potential customers.
Any system that gauges a customer’s suitability for a specific price should remain open for analysis. The reality is that the backend of such a system will never see the light of day, lest it exposes shady and discriminatory practices.
Consumer Reports, formerly the Consumers Union, states in a report from 2018 [PDF] that “Despite the notion that algorithms are neutral and objective arbiters, algorithms can exacerbate bias or have unexpected discriminatory effects. ”
Earlier, in October 2016, a Consumer Reports study across nine of the top travel search sites cited “42 pairs of different prices on separate browsers for the same sites retrieved simultaneously. ”
The report led to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling the situation “a sad state of affairs that might just violate consumer protections. ”
Flight Route Profiling
Flight route profiling has existed for a long time. For instance, a flight from London to Lanzarote is primarily marked for leisure. Airlines know that demand during school holiday periods will dramatically increase.
They also know that parents will look to find the best deals months in advance and as such, prices around those periods remain high, despite the number of available seats and current demand.
A switch to dynamic profiling is unlikely to change this scenario. It could, however, impact in other ways.
If you’re checking out flights on a high-end Mac, in San Francisco, the dynamic pricing might assume you have higher income and show you higher prices. How about checking prices for a return overnight trip from New York to Chicago?
Dynamic pricing might assume you’re a business person, check your previous flight purchase history, and show you price knowing that you will pay it regardless of cost.
7 Flight Hacks to Find Cheap Tickets
Everyone wants to find an insanely cheap flight. The reality is that the ridiculous flight deals are few and far between. You might get incredibly lucky from time to time and find a flight ticket with a massive discount. But the reality is that airline ticket prices react to demand and the proximity to the flight.
Still, there are a few handy tricks you can use to knock a few dollars from your airfare.
1. Use a VPN to Find Cheaper Flight Prices
If the airlines use dynamic profiling, you can fight back by using a VPN to change your location. For instance, you can use ExpressVPN.
MakeUseOf readers can grab an exclusive 49% discount for ExpressVPN using this link to change your IP address as to appear from one of 94 countries.
Here are a few examples of price differences I found using ExpressVPN, with the locations and the differences. I ran the same price comparisons using a fresh Lubuntu Linux installation, with a completely new browser.
Our test flights are:
New York JFK to London Heathrow
Miami International to Paris Charles de Gaulle
Tokyo Narita to San Francisco International
All departing on September 11th and all returning on September 18th, using the exact same flights for each flight price check site. Check out the difference in price between Skyscanner, Momondo, and Google Flights using the scenarios.
Note: I had to use Google’s ATX Matrix for the ExpressVPN Hong Kong server as Google Flights are unavailable in Hong Kong—it returns the same prices though.
A few things become clear immediately.
Google Flight prices remain extremely constant, regardless of location. Thus, you should know how to use Google Flights alerts to save money when going through it.
Using a VPN uncovered significant discounts when booking cheap airline flights from the Netherlands.
For the most part, discounts are only in tens of dollars, with one or two notable exceptions. However, if you’re booking cheap flights for several family members, these savings do add up.
Using a VPN to search for cheaper flights don’t always uncover discounts.
The last point is important. Using a VPN will not always help you find discounts, so you’ll have to play around with locations to figure out what works. It is also trip specific. The VPN server and flight combination might give you a discount at one time, but not others.
2. Be Flexible to Find Cheap Flight Deals
Flexibility is key to finding a cheap flight deal. If you can travel at any time, you can work your way through the cheapest dates for your destination.
If you cannot travel at any time (which is the reality for most of us! ), try and remain flexible with your destination. Skyscanner and other flight comparison sites allow you to search for “Everywhere” using the Cheapest Month option. It’ll show you the cheapest locations, in the cheapest month, from your departing location.
There is always a deal somewhere. It often takes looking at the bigger travel picture to see where it is.
3. Alternate Airports
Following on from flexibility, you can try and fly from and land at different airports. Many of the major global cities have multiple international airports. Switch between them to check for price differences (though make sure to factor in your travel into the city too).
Switch up your departure location, too. If you can travel between several different outgoing airports, include them in your base search so you can compare fares easily. For instance, trip-building site lets you do both (add different departure and destination airports).
4. Check for Airline Fare Errors
Now and then, airlines slip up. A price update goes wrong, hits the market, and suddenly you’re flying to Seychelles for $40 round-trip. Okay, the airline fare errors are never quite that dramatic, but if you catch one, you can make mega-savings.
One of the most recent examples came from Cathay Pacific, which sold $16, 000 business class tickets from Da Nang, Vietnam, to New York, for $675.
One of the best places to check for airline fare errors is Secret Flying. They post airline fare errors as soon as possible, hopefully before the airline catches their mistake.
The difficulty is that some airlines will not honor the mistake fare. Airlines can cancel the mistake fare at their discretion. Furthermore, the prospect of ultra-cheap airfares is slowly dwindling. The mistakes often stem from manual user input mistakes: a slipped key, a misplaced decimal point, and so on.
The move automation means that airlines no longer rely on manual input for price updates (which you can completely understand), and an update to airline pricing systems, such ATPCO. The Airline Tariff Publishing Co (ATPCO) maintains flight pricing data for over 400 airlines. A recent update to their system reduced the time to fix a fare mistake from 1 hour down to 15 mins for domestic flights, and from almost 24 hours down to 1 hour for international flights.
Mistake fares will still crop up—but you’re going to have to be ready to pounce when they do.
5. Book Your Flights Early And at Specific Times
I’m a little skeptical of this, and so are other online flight specialists. However, in the quest to find cheap flights, you’ll try anything, right?
You should always attempt to book your flights early. Although the figures differ, the best time to book a flight is between three to six in advance.
The team over at Airfarewatchdog believe booking your flight late on a Tuesday evening or early on a Wednesday morning is the best time of the week. That’s because many carriers release their new sales late on a Monday or a Tuesday morning. As the new fares filter through the market, prices adjust, and you might snag a cheap flight ticket.
6. Set Airline Fare Price Alerts
If you’re not using flight price tracking alerts already, you should start right now. If you have a specific destination in mind (or even a bunch! ), you can set price alerts that notify you when the flight ticket prices reach a certain level of discount.
7. Book Individual Flights
Finally, consider booking individual flights instead of using the connecting flight option. It will take you a little longer to book your full itinerary, but you can sometimes knock a few dollars from the price of your trip.
Just make sure to book with enough time between your flights, accounting for collecting your bags and making the trip to the next gate in the terminal (or in a different terminal, and so on).
You Can Find the Best Cheap Flights!
Insanely cheap flights are hard to come across. But a good cheap flight deal is well within your grasp. Figuring out what you consider a great cheap flight deal is important. Are you talking 10% off a $100 fare? Or are you hoping to find 70% off a $500 fare?
Tempering your expectations means you won’t get frustrated that you’re not finding a bonkers flight discount, but happy to grab a cheap fare when it pops up.
What do you conclude from this? Check all your options, at all times, and always double-check across the cheap flight ticket comparison sites. Otherwise, you should check out our tips for using Google Flights effectively.
And if you’re checking out flights for a vacation with friends, take a look at some additional tips for having a wonderful trip.
The 6 Most Important Specs to Check Before Buying a Smart TVIn the market for a smart TV? If you know these specs, you’ll cut through the jargon and get a better deal.
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About The Author
Gavin Phillips
(974 Articles Published)
Gavin is the Junior Editor for Windows and Technology Explained, a regular contributor to the Really Useful Podcast, and a regular product reviewer. He has a BA (Hons) Contemporary Writing with Digital Art Practices pillaged from the hills of Devon, as well as over a decade of professional writing experience. He enjoys copious amounts of tea, board games, and football.
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How to Get Cheap Flights and Save Money (Still Works in 2021)
Airlines and booking agencies continuously improve their technology and algorithms to boost profits — which makes flights much more expensive. They can easily tell the country that you’re booking from and gather your personal information to cause price fluctuations. Because of this, it has become much harder to find cheap airfares, however, there are still some ways around it.
After testing several money-saving methods to see which are still relevant, I found that the easiest way to get cheap flights is to use a VPN. A VPN allows you to change your IP address to another location while keeping your browsing activity anonymous — this way, you can browse flight deals from around the world without booking sites tracking your data and increasing prices.
My team and I tested over 100 VPNs to see which works best for saving money on plane tickets. Based on the results, I’ve put together a list. My top recommendation is ExpressVPN; it has a huge server network and is super secure, so your real location will never be exposed to travel sites. You can even try it risk-free with the 30-day money-back guarantee.
Get Cheap Flights with ExpressVPN Today!
Ways to Get Cheap Flights (Tested in October 2021)
1. Use a VPN to access worldwide fare deals
VPNs allow you to browse flights from different countries by changing your virtual location. It gives you access to a private network of servers, available through an app. When you connect to one of the VPN’s servers, your IP address is switched out for one in the new location. This tricks booking sites into thinking you’re browsing from somewhere else — so you won’t get inflated fares just because of your location.
Travel sites also use your device data to track you and calculate the price you see on flights. This too can be prevented with a VPN; when you visit a site, it encrypts the information put out by your devices, such as your IP address and location. It keeps you completely anonymous while you browse, so booking sites can’t use your data to increase ticket prices.
You’ll often find better flight deals in lower-income countries like Mexico and India than you will in higher-income countries, such as the US or Norway. With a VPN, you can quickly compare rates from around the world by simply changing your virtual location.
Downloading a VPN is super easy and can help you save money on flights within minutes. Many VPNs require a subscription — however, you’re not required to sign up for a long-term contract. My top recommendation, ExpressVPN, lets you choose between monthly, 6 months, and yearly subscriptions. It even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try ExpressVPN out for yourself completely risk-free. If you’re not satisfied, you can always get a full refund.
During my tests, I noticed the US consistently had some of the priciest tickets. I decided to look at a flight between Chicago and New Delhi — first without a VPN, then while connected to India. As soon as I used the VPN, Skyscanner’s “cheapest flight” dropped from $715 to $651. What’s more, the booking site suddenly had more airline options for me to choose from, resulting in cheaper flight deals.
My tests revealed that booking sites won’t show you every airline available — what you see depends on your location
Save Money on Flights With ExpressVPN!
2. Clear cookies and go incognito
Clearing your cookies often prevents booking sites from tracking you and raising ticket prices accordingly. Cookies are pieces of data stored in your browser based on your internet use. Websites analyze cookies to create a digital profile for you and determine your location— this information determines the price you’ll see for a flight.
It isn’t difficult to clear your cookies and only takes a few seconds. I use Chrome as my browser and found the option under Chrome > Clear browsing data, which pulled up the option for me to clear browsing history and cookies/data (so travel agencies can’t use this information to raise fares).
I recommend clearing your cookies often, especially when revisiting a booking site multiple times
You may have noticed that the more you revisit a site to look at a ticket, the higher the fare becomes. This is because travel sites use your browser’s history feature to analyze your online habits and see which flights you’re interested in. Raising prices creates a sense of urgency and pressures you to book immediately before fares go up even higher. Even a simple page refresh can cause the price to increase!
To avoid fluctuating rates, I advise browsing in Incognito mode (Chrome), or Private mode (Safari). Using Incognito mode allows you to browse sites without them analyzing your previous internet use. This offers a degree of privacy, however, it won’t fully hide your geo-location or private data. For this reason, I recommend downloading a VPN to completely block trackers.
Keep your browser history fresh by going Incognito and regularly clearing your cookies
The shortcuts for enabling Incognito mode are the same in Safari and Chrome — simply hit Command (Control for PC) + Shift + N. If you’re using Firefox or Internet Explorer, hit Command (Control for PC) + Shift + P. For older versions of OS X, navigate to “Safari” in the menu bar and click “Private Browsing”. This opens a new browser that doesn’t track your information, preventing airlines and travel sites from giving you inflated fares.
3. Check flight comparison sites
Some of my favorite flight comparison sites include Skyscanner, Kayak, and Expedia. They’re easy to use; you just enter the details of when and where you’re flying, and you’ll be presented with a number of fares. This lets you view each in terms of price, layover times, stops, and so on. Flight comparison sites won’t present Southwest Airlines in their list of routes. This is a budget airline, oftentimes offering low prices — I advise also checking Southwest’s website to make comparisons before booking your trip.
Other popular sites check out:
Thrifty Nomads– always on the hunt for the latest deals, tips, and tricks for traveling on the cheap
Kiwi– its user-friendly map feature lets you compare fares between different destinations across the world
Momondo– it searches a massive database of fares and almost always finds the cheapest price
Scott’s Cheap Flights– a useful error-fare and sale locator (see tip 11)
CheapOair– this flight comparison site sometimes offers promo codes to provide even more savings
Airwander– a site that gives you savings in stopover flexibility — an easy way to see more for less money (see tip 10)
JetRadar– unlike many search engines, this one also includes budget airlines
Google Flights– an easy-to-use tool for quickly locating flights — although, usually not for the best price available
Keep in mind that each flight comparison site has different deals to offer, so I’d recommend comparing a few before booking. For instance, I found the exact same flight on Kiwi and Skyscanner — however, they had differing prices. Skyscanner offered a roundtrip ticket for Finnair between Stockholm and Moscow for $245, while Kiwi listed it for $306.
Flight comparison sites don’t always have the same rates — so compare as many as possible
You can also use Cheap Flight Finder to quickly compare fares between flight comparison sites. It works similar to other travel sites; you just enter in the details of when and where you’d like to travel. Then, it presents you with a list of flight comparison sites and budget airlines offering the same trip — plus what they’re charging for it.
Instead of booking directly through Kiwi, I found an even cheaper price on the same trip through Cheap Flight Finder
Another way to save money is by using these sites to mix and match airlines and stopovers. Skyscanner combines different airlines between departing and connecting flights to find you the best deal possible. I found out that by flying with United and Lufthansa, versus only United for both legs of the trip, would save money.
If you’re flexible with which airline you fly, it can oftentimes save money on roundtrip tickets
4. Consider budget airlines
You’ll usually find flights for much cheaper with budget airlines. These are sufficient for short, quick flights as they typically don’t include many amenities like meals, seat selection, or baggage check. Popular budget airlines from across the world include:
US
Canada
East Asia/ Russia
Southwest
Swoop
Air Asia
Frontier
Flair Airlines
JeJu Air
Spirit
Porter
Peach Air
Allegiance Air
Air Canada Rouge
Scoot
JetBlue
WestJet
Aeroflot
Virgin America
Sunwing
Lion Air
Sun Country Airlines
Air Transat
Spring Airlines
Wow Air
Nok Air
Europe
Primera Air
VietJet Air
EasyJet
Jetlines
Cebu Pacific
RyanAir
Hong Kong Express
Australia/ New Zealand
German Wings
JetStar
T’Way Airlines
Air Baltic
Virgin Australia
AirBaltic
Wizz Air
SkyExpress
Vueling
Middle East
SpiceJet
Africa
Latin America
Air Arabia
Kulula
VivaAerobus
Jazeera Airways
FastJet
InterJet
FlyDubai
FlyAfrica
Volaris
Flynas
Mango
GOL
FlySafair
You can stay on top of their latest deals by signing up to receive regular notifications. These alerts are usually sent through social media and Email. Whenever there’s a last-minute or seasonal discount offered by budget carriers, you’ll be one of the first to know!
When I was looking for a trip from Berlin to Mallorca, I found it was unbelievably cheaper to book with Ryanair. Not only that, but the flight was direct and much quicker than the one offered by Air France.
By choosing Ryanair, you’d not only save on money but also time as there’s no layover (like with Air France)
Budget airlines use money-saving methods which are easy to overlook if you’re not careful. A few points to consider when booking budget:
Baggage– avoid unexpected costs by reading the terms and conditions of your trip. Look to see if checked baggage is included, or if you’ll have to pay separately for this. Be sure to follow the airline’s exact measurement guidelines for the height, weight and width of your baggage — otherwise, you’re likely to face some heavy fines.
Airport location– sometimes budget airlines fly in or out of smaller airports, located further out of town. Be sure to double-check the specific airport to avoid inconvenience.
The fine print– budget airlines have to make their money somehow, and they usually do it with fees and upcharges. For instance, if you forget to check-in and have to do so at the airport, Ryanair will charge you for it. Another example is Spirit Airlines who charges for all beverages including soft drinks, juices, and even water.
5. Be flexible on times, dates, and destinations
Choose a flight during a time when most people won’t want to travel. Consider flying on holidays, weekdays, and low seasons for your destination. Plane tickets for these dates prove to be significantly lower than those during the more desirable travel days (weekends, Christmas break, etc. ).
Off-peak hours also have the lowest prices. Most travelers try to avoid super early flights, between 5 a. m. and 7 a. The same goes for overnight or “redeye” flights departing after 8 p. m.
Unfortunately, there is still some inconsistency in this and it can be difficult to predict when flights will be the cheapest. However, I found that some flight comparison sites will give you a broad overview of the cheapest dates to fly. For example, you can do this with Skyscanner by following these simple steps:
Navigate to
Select “one way”. Even if you need roundtrip tickets. This just makes it easier for you to look at rates for individual dates before booking the complete trip.
Click to view the daily prices. Instead of entering specific dates under “Departure”, select “Whole month”, then “Cheapest month” to see which dates are cheapest to fly each month.
Save money on your flight! Repeat this process for your return flight for roundtrip savings.
Now, repeat for your return flight for savings on your roundtrip ticket
If you’re flexible on your destination, you can save even more on travel expenses. Peak seasons vary from one location to another. So if you’re not set on your destination (e. g. for work or family reasons), you can begin by checking the best available deals for the time you want to travel — then choose your trip accordingly.
Kiwi makes this process easy — you just enter your travel dates, departure city, and “Anywhere” in the destination box. Then, you’re presented with a map, showing you where in the world you can travel for the cheapest rate. Skyscanner, Momomdo, and Google Flights also offer a similar feature.
I tested this with Kiwi, searching for the best deal from my location (Costa Rica) during the dates May 13-20. I found out that the cheapest place for me to travel during these dates was to Cancun for $247 roundtrip.
Check rates from around the world to see which are at lowered or discounted prices
6. Know when to book
Airlines have created a fluctuating price system based on the specific timeframe in which you book tickets. Reserving tickets too far in advance can sometimes end up costing you almost as much as waiting last minute.
According to a study conducted by CheapAir, there’s a “Prime Booking Window, ” for domestic travel which is the ideal time to purchase your low-cost ticket. The research suggests that the perfect time to buy a domestic plane ticket is between 20 and 115 days before departure.
However, for international travel, it’s advised to purchase your ticket between 2. 5 and 6 months in advance (according to a separate study by CheapAir). Additionally, when booking trips around holidays, it’s best to buy your ticket far in advance — I advise booking an additional month or two in advance as demand for these dates is going to be much higher.
When traveling to a destination during off-season, you can find the best savings by booking your ticket closer to the departure date. During these times of low tourism, airlines are usually left with a lot of empty seats — so, they drop rates significantly at the last minute in an attempt to get more sales.
7. Purchase tickets individually
Booking flights for groups can cost you more money than booking tickets separately. Airlines typically give the same ticket price for every seat in the group, even if some are cheaper than others. For instance — if I reserve 3 tickets: a window seat ($300), middle ($200), and aisle ($250) — I’d most likely be charged $300 for all 3 tickets since it has the highest price point.
You can easily get around this by purchasing individual tickets and choosing your seats afterwards. However, you can’t book individual tickets for children, as they require an accompanying adult to fly.
But if you’re booking a multi-leg journey, I recommend getting all of the legs on one ticket — this ensures that you’re not liable for rescheduling expenses for your remaining trip, should one of the legs fail.
8. Use airline booking ploys
There are a few loopholes that can save you money when booking a flight. I don’t condone the breaking of laws or rules — I recommend checking that you’re not breaching a contract and consider any penalties that may follow. This isn’t always an issue, as some airlines have failed to include information regarding booking ploys in their carrier agreement.
That being said, these two loopholes are pretty straight-forward and difficult for airlines to penalize:
Throwaway Tickets
Usually, you can get a roundtrip ticket for significantly cheaper than one way. This is a major money-saver if you plan to move abroad or will be staying in another country for an extended period. All you have to do is book a roundtrip fare and “throw away” your return ticket. However, this only works if you board the first flight — so if you aren’t present for the first trip, the airline will likely cancel the return ticket.
Before booking a one-way ticket, check to see if roundtrip will save you money and skip the return flight
Hidden City Tickets
With this method, you’d book a flight with a layover in your desired destination and end your trip at this stop. Since ticket prices vary on the popularity of the destination, there are times this can save you money. Plus, it’s almost impossible for airlines to penalize because travelers regularly miss flights. Just note that it doesn’t work with checked baggage since your luggage will end up at the final destination.
Skiplagged automatically finds these deals for you, when you enter your departing city and desired destination. For example, I looked at a trip from Seattle to Dallas. Skiplagged showed me that it was cheaper to book a ticket from Seattle to Phoenix with a layover in Dallas. I compared the same trip on Kiwi, but with Dallas as the endpoint of this journey which turned out to be $62 more expensive.
The same leg was cheaper when it was connected to a flight with the end destination in Phoenix
9. Use points to fly for free
As one of the most uncomplicated ways to save money, you can sign up for rewards programs that earn you free trips. These programs are typically offered by airlines, as well as some credit cards.
As an example, Southwest Airlines has a program called Rapid Rewards that gives you points each time you fly. These points never expire; when you’ve collected enough, you can convert them into free flights!
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, you earn points through your spending that can be applied to your next flight. After spending $4000 with your card in the first 3 months, you will have already earned $1000 worth of points. That’s enough to cover the price for most international flights!
The Chase Sapphire card also includes these travel benefits:
80, 000 rewards points (worth $1, 000) when you reach the required $4, 000 spending in the first 3 months with your card
Earn up to $50 in grocery store credits within your first year after opening a new account
Double points earned on money spent at restaurants worldwide (includes dining in, takeout, and qualifying delivery)
Double points earned on travel expenses worldwide (includes airfare, hotels, taxis, and trains)
5x points earned on Lyft rides
Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards
No foreign transaction fees
No travel blackout dates or restrictions on airlines booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Travel accident insurance, roadside assistance, and auto rental collision damage waiver
Travel and emergency assistance
Lost luggage reimbursement and baggage delay insurance
Complimentary DashPass subscription
Trip delay reimbursement and trip cancellation insurance
Exclusive access to events and experiences
10. Plan your own layover
Making multiple-day layovers can sometimes save you hundreds on roundtrip flights. This is a great money-saver if you’re flexible with time and are interested in combining multiple destinations into one vacation.
Keep in mind — this method saves money on flights only — you’ll likely accrue additional costs for accommodation, food, and other travel expenses.
Airwander is a travel site that lets you plan your stopovers as a way to save money and enjoy seeing a new location while doing so. You just enter where you’re traveling to and the site presents you with money-saving layover destinations.
By taking a 3-day detour in Auckland, you can save $375 roundtrip between New Zealand and France
11. Look for error fares
You can often find error fares on social media groups, online forums, and websites like Secret Flying. These are mistakes made by booking sites and airlines offering incredibly low prices on their flights — usually a result of human error, such as a typo or misunderstanding. It’s helpful to bookmark a few of these pages to ensure you’ll never miss a deal. When you come across error fares, it’s best to act immediately as companies catch these mistakes quickly.
I advise checking Secret Flying daily to ensure you don’t miss out on the latest errors — it takes seconds
Some other popular sites for finding error and sale fares are Scott’s Cheap Flights and Jack’s Flight Club (for flights from Europe or the US). Both have organized teams that work together in locating the cheapest flight deals found online. You just sign up with your Email and departure location and you’ll receive regular newsletters with the lowest priced tickets available.
These subscriptions are free, however, they send exclusive offers to premium members — Scott’s Cheap Flights offers its premium membership for $49/ per year with a 14-day free trial.
Should you encounter one of these deals, be aware that the airline reserves the right to cancel and refund your trip at any time — so I recommend waiting at least 2 weeks before making further travel arrangements. However, this is rarely the case.
Get Cheap Flights With ExpressVPN Now!
How a VPN Can Help You Get Cheap Flights
A VPN gives you access to cheaper airfares by disguising your personal information and identity to travel companies. It provides you a new IP address and redirects your browsing activity through a server in another country (of your choosing). Plus, it encrypts your internet activity and uses additional security protocols to ensure you’re completely anonymous.
Various factors, such as the economy, political/current events, and the airline’s origin, cause airfares to be different in each country. Since it’s impossible to be in every country at once, a VPN lets you buy the cheapest airfares from different countries by changing your virtual location, so you never have to leave your house!
To see if VPNs truly can help you find cheaper flights, I recorded the price of a flight without a VPN (I’m located in the US); then I looked at the ticket with ExpressVPN in 19 different countries. I used 2 flight comparison sites (Kayak and Skyscanner) and only noted prices from the same flight — so you can see that the rates fluctuate as a result of simply changing server locations.
Without using a VPN, I would have paid the highest price available for this fare ($665 in the US). However, I found the cheapest ticket in Switzerland for $604.
The roundtrip flight recorded is from Tokyo to Milan (travel dates: June 9-17, 2021) via Emirates airlines
Best VPNs for Finding Cheap Flights in 2021
1. ExpressVPN — Tons of Servers to Access Low-Cost Flights Worldwide
Compare flight prices in 90 countries across 3, 000 servers
Military-grade encryption, a kill switch, and DNS/IP leak protection ensure airlines and booking sites can’t detect where you’re browsing from
Ultra-fast servers so you don’t miss out on the newest flight deals
Easy-to-use apps for hassle-free flight comparisons
5 simultaneous device connections to make side-by-side flight comparisons
30-day money-back guarantee
24/7 live support
Works with: Kayak, Google Flights, Skyscanner, Travelocity, Expedia, Travelzoo, OneTravel, and more
Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, routers, and more
ExpressVPN allows you to browse cheap flights from across the world with its massive server network, covering 90 different countries. During my tests, I looked on Expedia at a flight from Ho Chi Minh to Sydney. Before using a VPN, the flight was $3, 108. Next, I connected to ExpressVPN in Vietnam (which is thousands of miles from me). This time, I found the same flight for less than half the price. You’ll never have to pay full price for a flight!
After connecting to a server in Vietnam, I saw a significant price difference
Your privacy is protected at all times by ExpressVPN — so airlines can’t use your data to inflate flight prices. It keeps you anonymous with 256-bit encryption, and a built-in DNS and IPv6 leak detection test. I decided to test for leaks with an independent tool — it didn’t find any whatsoever.
Even if your connection drops, you’re covered by ExpressVPN’s automatic kill switch. It ensures your personal information and location are hidden from booking sites so you’ll always get the cheapest flight deals.
You can quickly compare fares between multiple countries with ExpressVPN’s superfast servers. I ran speed tests on 8 different locations (5 in Europe, 2 US cities, and 1 in Australia). My connection never dropped below 52 Mbps — that’s more than enough to prevent long loading times when you visit booking sites, so you won’t ever miss out on a deal!
A small con I found with ExpressVPN is that it’s a bit more costly than I expected. However, I found a way to save money on your subscription — you can get it for 49% off to make it more affordable.
To see if it’s right for you, you can try ExpressVPN risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. I wanted to be sure you can trust this policy, so I requested a refund using the 24/7 live chat. After the agent and I chatted briefly about my experience, she issued my return. When I checked my bank account 3 days later, I already saw the refund.
Get Cheap Flights with ExpressVPN Now!
2. IPVanish — Lightning-Fast to Quickly Compare Cheap Fares
1, 900 servers in 70 countries to access cheap flights around the world
Highest level of encryption, a kill switch, plus DNS/IP leak protection so you’re true location is never exposed to booking sites
Superfast speeds so you can quickly snag the cheapest fares
Intuitive interface makes it easy to set up and find low-cost plane tickets
Unlimited simultaneous device connections to easily compare rates
Compatible with: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Windows Phone, Linux, and Chromebook
IPVanish is impressively fast so you won’t face any loading times when you visit booking sites. I tested 6 different servers across the globe. With each, my connection remained stable and I recorded an average of 50. 72 Mbps. You only need 5 Mbps for heavy browsing activity — so you can quickly change server locations and hop across booking sites to compare fares.
Its server network is super reliable for helping you find cheap tickets. I tested this by connecting to Mexico, Vietnam, Germany, and the UK — I found the best deal in Berlin; the same flight was $101 cheaper. No matter how far the server was located from me, I never had an issue using it to find local deals in other countries. You’ll always have access to the world’s best deals on flights, no matter where you are.
I used a German server for instant savings on a roundtrip ticket from San Diego to Amsterdam
Travel sites have no way of seeing your actual location since IPVanish keeps your IP address and personal information private. It keeps your browsing activity anonymous with 256-bit encryption combined with a zero-logs policy and IP/DNS leak protection. I even tested for leaks and was relieved to find there were none. This shows that you’re never at risk of your true location being revealed to travel agencies — meaning, they won’t inflate prices based on where you browse from.
I was a bit disappointed to see I couldn’t use cryptocurrency to pay for IPVanish. However, this didn’t end up being much of an issue as it accepts most credit cards — I ended up using my PayPal account to sign up.
You can even try IPVanish risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. So if you find it’s not for you, you’re entitled to a full refund. After booking my flights, I decided to test this by requesting my return via live chat. The agent asked me a few questions concerning customer satisfaction. Within 5 minutes, she approved the refund — I received the full payment back in my account 4 days later.
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3. Cyberghost — Thousands of Servers for the World’s Best Flight Deals
7, 190 servers so you can compare ticket prices in 90 countries
User-friendly interface for quick and easy access to cheap flights
Highly secure with a kill switch, military-grade encryption, and IP/DNS leak protection, so travel companies will never pick up on your true location
7 simultaneous device connections
45-day money-back guarantee
Compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Roku, and more
CyberGhost lets you compare fares from almost any country in the world with its huge server network. I tested it by connecting to 5 different locations until I found the cheapest deal on a flight from Sydney to Tokyo. While using a UK server, Expedia gave me an $82 savings on the same trip. With access to fares in 90 countries, you’ll never get stuck paying full price.
It took me just a few minutes to connect Cyberghost to a UK server — afterwards, I found the same flight for cheaper
The tracker-blocking feature prevents increased prices that occur from revisiting booking sites. Enabling this is easy — I found it under the app’s “Connection Preferences” in its settings. You just have to click “Block Online Tracking”. This prevents websites from collecting your data, so they have no way to know you’ve been eyeing a particular ticket. Meaning, you’ll always get the lowest offer available.
Multiple security protocols keep your information hidden from airlines and booking sites, so you won’t see inflated prices. Cyberghost boasts IP/DNS leak protection, so I decided to test this with a leak detector — there were zero found. Its military-grade encryption allowed me to browse airline sites without my real location ever being revealed. This means you’ll have access to the cheapest tickets the world has to offer.
I wasn’t too impressed with the layout of Cyberghost’s desktop interface, since it was a bit bulky. However, this is just a minor complaint as it did not affect my ability to get low-cost rates from around the world.
If you’re feeling unsure, you can always try Cyberghost before fully committing with its 45-day money-back guarantee. I decided to test this policy after 23 days by contacting a representative to make my request. She asked me some questions and was happy to process the return. Before a week had passed, I received the money back in my account.
Get Cheap Flights with CyberGhost Now!
4. Private Internet Access — User-Friendly to Easily Compare Fares
Get access to 29, 650 servers in 70 countries to find the best prices on flights
Easy-to-use apps with minimal setup time, so you can start finding cheap flights immediately
MACE blocks trackers so you won’t get inflated prices when you revisit travel sites
256-bit encryption, a kill switch, plus IP/DNS leak protection keeps your information discreet
10 simultaneous device connections to check flight deals with ease
Compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
PIA’s extensive server network gives you plenty of countries to compare for cheap flights. During my tests, I looked at a flight from London to Miami, then decided to try PIA’s London server to see if it gave me a better deal — I found a similar flight (with a slightly different return flight) for $31 cheaper. With so many locations to choose from, you’ll always get the best price.
When looking at flights to or from London, I found the best deals by connecting PIA to a London server
Mace blocks trackers so booking sites won’t raise ticket prices when you revisit a site. To test this out, I located a cheap flight on Kayak, closed my browser, then reopened it after a few minutes. Next, I navigated back to search for the same trip. It was as if the site was presenting the ticket offer for the first time — at the same low price, I was initially given. You won’t ever have to settle for inflated fares!
The PIA app is easy to use and is compatible with just about any device. It only took me a few minutes to download it on my MacBook. Once it was installed, I could quickly switch between server locations to compare ticket prices. It worked just as well with my iPhone 8. You can shop for cheap tickets from anywhere — even on the go, with your mobile phone!
I found that PIA’s speeds are not always consistent. However, fast servers aren’t essential for browsing booking sites. I found it helps to disconnect and reconnect to another location if you notice a slow connection.
The best way to see if it’s right for you is to try PIA for 30 days with its money-back guarantee. I can confirm that this policy is reliable, as I tested it myself. The entire process was painless, and I had the money back within a week of requesting my refund.
Save Money on Flights With PIA Now!
5. PrivateVPN — Quick Setup Gives You Instant Access to Cheap Flights
100 servers in 60 countries to access cheap flights from anywhere
Instant setup and user-friendly design so you can begin hunting for bargains without hesitation
256-bit encryption, a k
Frequently Asked Questions about how to use vpn for cheaper flights
Can you use a VPN for cheaper flights?
With a VPN, you can quickly compare rates from around the world by simply changing your virtual location. Downloading a VPN is super easy and can help you save money on flights within minutes. Many VPNs require a subscription — however, you’re not required to sign up for a long-term contract.Aug 16, 2021
How do you trick flight prices?
Wait until three days before you need to fly for a sudden price drop. Never search for the same flight more than three times. Log out of every browser and social network before even looking up flights. Most of the questionable logic behind these pieces of advice don’t hold up.Nov 7, 2019