Okay, so everyone’s always asking me how I manage to snag such cheap flights for my trips. Well, it’s not magic, it’s just a bit of digging and knowing the right tools. I’ve been doing this for a while now, and I’m happy to spill the beans.
My Go-To Flight Search Routine
First, I started by making a list of the places I dreamed of visiting. It’s important to have some flexibility, you know? Then, I got down to business. I didn’t just stick to one website, oh no. I opened up a bunch of different ones, kinda like casting a wide net.
- First up, I hit Google Flights. It is an awesome starting point. You can put in your departure city, and then instead of typing a specific destination, you can just click ‘Explore.’ This shows you a map with prices to tons of places. I use the date grid and price graph to spot the cheapest travel dates.
- Next, I checked out Momondo. It is one of my old favorites, good at finding those smaller, lesser-known airlines that sometimes have killer deals. I always make sure to check it before I make any final decisions.
- I also made sure to visit Skyscanner. Just like Google Flights, it’s great for exploring options. It has this ‘Everywhere’ search feature that’s perfect when you’re not set on a specific place, just looking for adventure. I input my home airport and select “Everywhere” as the destination. This is really useful.
- For long-haul flights, I added Kayak to my list. Some people don’t like it, but I still found some good prices with it.
So, I juggled all these sites, comparing prices and dates. I played around with different combinations. One day I might look at flying out on a Tuesday, the next I’d check Wednesday. I paid attention to those little tips some sites give you, like “Prices are expected to rise,” or “This is a good deal.” I think it is necessary.
Sometimes,I found much cheaper to fly into a different airport near my final destination. I used the “nearby airports” option on most of these sites to check that out.
After a few weeks of this, I usually managed to zero in on the best deals. It’s not an instant thing, it takes a bit of patience, and sometimes, you have to be willing to adjust your plans a little. But, in the end, I always ended up with a flight that I could afford that takes me where I want to go!
