How to find and book cheap flights wherever you’re going.

With constantly changing prices and hundreds of travel platforms promising the best deals, knowing how to find cheap flights has become an art form. To cut through the noise, this guide lays out the tips and tricks for how to find a cheap flight.

The cheapest days to fly domestically and internationally.

When you book your flights has perhaps the biggest impact on the price you’ll pay. Typically, flights go on sale around a year before their departure date. Booking the moment they’re released is not the best time to buy, though.

There’s no guaranteed way to find the cheapest flight every time. But KAYAK data trends offer clear insight into which days consistently offer lower fares both for booking and traveling.

Typically (but certainly not always), flight prices get more expensive as you get closer to your travel date. For that we can thank business travelers who tend to book later, be less flexible and have pockets deep enough to pay higher prices.

How to book cheap domestic flights.

Flying domestically, it’s best to book around 30 days before your departure date. KAYAK data shows average prices are lowest at this point, at around $225. It’s not just about timing, though, as which day you fly on can also impact the price you pay.

For the best deals, try to fly out on a Saturday and return on a Wednesday to get the lowest average fare. Domestic flight prices don’t tend to fluctuate by much between days though, so the saving may not be worth changing your plans for.

How to book cheap international flights.

Flying internationally, the KAYAK data turned up a surprising trend. Booking just seven days ahead of the departure date gave the best average fare prices of $684. I must caveat this though. Leaving it so late can backfire as it gives you little room for flexibility. If prices are high, you may have no option but to book and pay them as time is so short.

Which day you fly overseas will also impact what you pay. According to KAYAK data trends, flying and returning on a Wednesday will give you the lowest average prices.

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Be flexible with travel dates and times.

Having some flexibility on the days and times you fly can be a big help in finding a cheap flight.

Use the KAYAK booking calendar to quickly compare which days are the cheapest to fly.

Enter your departure and destination airports and then select your ideal dates. The date field will expand to show you color-coded dates with price estimates for which days are cheaper.

Red indicates expensive, green is a good deal, and yellow is around average.

If you’re flexible, try changing the dates field from exact to +/- 1/2/3 days and you’ll see even more price options.

Use KAYAK Price Forecast to decide when to book.

So you’re all set to buy your ticket, but there’s that nagging fear – what if the price suddenly drops tomorrow? Should you wait? But then, what if the fare goes up? Lucky for you, there’s KAYAK Price Forecast. This tool can help you make educated decisions on when to book and give you more ways to save.

Price Forecast gives you a recommendation based on KAYAK data about whether the flight price will go up or down in the next seven days.

• For desktop users: Whenever you make a flight search, be sure to check the top left corner once the results have loaded. You’ll see a graph plus a message saying BUY or WATCH. If it’s a good time to buy, grab your tickets while they’re hot. If not, cool your jets and wait for the price to go down (and create a Price Alert to know when they do)
• For app users: The Price Forecast tool will appear just above your search results once they’ve fully loaded. From there, you can click on the bar that says ‘Our advice’ to see the KAYAK data. This page gives you the reasoning behind the advice, KAYAK’s estimated price graph and an option to start a Price Alert if now isn’t the time to buy.

Avoid traveling during popular holidays or busier travel days.

Seasonal changes dramatically affect prices. Traveling in high season is always more expensive than in low season. Peak summer holidays see a bump in prices, and special events or holidays can create a price spike in specific destinations, like Carnival in Rio.

But small changes can help you save. Some good to know points about popular flying times;

• Typically, the cheapest days to fly are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
• Fridays, Sundays and Mondays tend to be more expensive days to fly, thanks to the popularity of weekend trips and business travel.
• Flying on or after a major holiday (Christmas Day flights are notoriously cheap) is generally much cheaper.
• For summer 2025, KAYAK data shows late August is the cheapest time to fly.

Use Price Alerts to find the best flight deal.

If you’ve got a fixed destination and exact date range, you can set a price alert that lets you know when the airfare gets cheaper. This will save you some stress (and money).

To create a price alert, go to Notifications in your profile or look for the Track prices toggle under Our Advice on the left of each flight search results page.

Once set, you’ll get an email whenever there’s a price drop on that route with a link to book the flight.

Save more by trying a Flexible Flight Price Alert.

If you can be very flexible with your travel dates, you can save even more time and money. Similar to the KAYAK Price Alert, the Flexible Flight Price Alert monitors your chosen route and lets you know when flight prices drop across a set period of time. Just enter your departure and arrival airports and rough travel period and you can set how often you get price alerts.

To set a flexible alert, log in to your KAYAK account from your desktop, go to Notifications, and click on Create a Price Alert. Choose the Flexible Dates tab and enter your departure and arrival airports – particularly handy if you’re flying long haul, where prices can fluctuate by hundreds of dollars.

Check flight prices to nearby airports – they’re often cheaper.

Flying to a different airport doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning your trip to London for a trip to Lisbon, just because the flights are a bit cheaper. If you’re flying from New York to London, as with many destinations around the world, you have several airports to choose from. And flights to them won’t all be the same price. For example, instead of London Heathrow, consider flying to London Gatwick instead.

This is particularly the case in Europe, where many of the low-cost (budget) airlines like Ryanair and easyJet are based in airports a bit further out of town. Not only do they come with cheaper airfares, but they often have cheaper car rental options too. On the downside, they can mean a longer and more expensive commute to your final destination.

This can also be the case in the US – for example, on the popular route to Orlando in Florida. Most people fly into Orlando International when it’s actually better value to fly into Orlando Sanford International.

Use KAYAK Explore to find cheap flights to anywhere.

If you just want to get away but have no idea what’s achievable within your budget, try KAYAK Explore. All you need to know is how much you want to spend and Explore will do the rest. Input the type of trip (beach, for example), your budget and dates, and then run a search. Explore will then show you a range of flight options to choose from.

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Fly cheaply with rewards points and miles.

Before you book to travel anywhere, you should get up to speed on travel rewards. Most airlines and many credit card companies offer loyalty programs that let you earn points, miles and rewards when spending with them. You can then use these to reduce the cost of your flights, get upgrades and other travel perks.

• Airlines. Join an airline’s reward scheme and when you fly with it (or any of its partners) you’ll earn miles based on the distance you fly and the amount you spend.
• Credit cards. Many credit cards are now airline branded or dedicated to travel rewards. They’ll give you points or miles for every dollar you spend on them, no matter what you’re buying. Many offer specific bonuses for things like dining out or traveling.
• Promotions. Look out for promotions that boost the number of miles or points you can earn. Common among airlines, less so with credit cards.
• Partner programs. Many other travel sectors offer partner points programs to tempt you in with extra miles. These programs are common for hotels, car rental companies, restaurant chains, and even online shopping portals.

Gathering miles and points from multiple sources is often referred to as “travel hacking”. This is the art of collecting everything from frequent flier points and airline miles to rewards for hotel stays and using certain credit cards. Redeeming them should pay back much more than the cost of earning them in the first place.

Play the game well and you can earn enough points and miles to pay for entire flights, both domestic and international (excluding taxes and fees). It does, however, take some dedication and work to get it right.

One program, multiple rewards.

Many reward programs take advantage of partnerships and alliances to increase their appeal. For example, one of the most popular rewards programs in the US is American Airlines AAdvantage. Sign up and you’ll earn miles and Loyalty Points whenever you fly not only with them, but also with partners like Alaska Airlines, British Airways and Qatar Airways.

It has dedicated AAdvantage credit cards from Citi and Barclays that earn you miles on purchases and get you priority boarding and free checked bags on flights. You can redeem miles for domestic one-way flights from 7,500 miles, plus fees (usually under $10).

So for example, you could fly from Dallas to New York using around 10,000 reward miles and you’d only need to pay the $6 fee instead of the usual $150-$200+ cash fare.

More stopovers = cheaper flights.

If you’re willing to sacrifice some time, making a stopover on your journey is one of the best ways to find flights for less. Play it right with a long enough stopover and you can even (briefly) experience another destination.

Let’s say you’re flying from New York to Berlin, for example. A direct flight in August will likely cost you around $800+, taking a shade over eight hours. A quick search on KAYAK reveals you could fly on the same date with an 18 hour layover in Oslo for just $250. That’s more than $500 cheaper and it gives you enough time to explore some of Norway’s magical capital.

If you’re not stopping for a proper visit, make sure you leave at least three hours between flights to cater for delays. My last tip here is to take only carry-on luggage for such trips.

Mix and match airlines.

Booking individual flights for each leg of your journey with different carriers will often save you money. You can do this simply on KAYAK. Run a flight search as normal and pick the best price. If you do book with separate airlines, make sure you download both carriers’ flight apps so you can keep up to date with the booking.

Search for flights with budget airlines.

Low-cost carriers (LCCs), often just called budget airlines, have reshaped how many people travel – especially short-haul. By stripping down the flight experience to the bare minimum and charging for every conceivable extra, they offer great flexibility in how you fly. In Europe, budget carriers like Ryanair and easyJet offer cheap flights and dominate flight schedules.

In the US, carriers like Spirit Airlines are doing the same thing. Very cheap basic flights to a wide range of popular destinations, where you can add the extras you want – checked or carry-on bags, extra leg room and the like. Keep an eye out for loyalty programs even with these budget airlines.

For example, the Spirit Saver$ Club is available for an annual subscription and offers its members exclusive deals, discounted prices and benefits like security fast track. On KAYAK when you search for flights LCCs are included where available.

Be wary of extra costs (hello, baggage fees).

You know the drill: You’ve found a great flight deal, you’re ready to book, and then you remember you need to add luggage. Avoid surprises by using KAYAK Fee Assistant. This tool shows you how flight costs change according to baggage and credit card fees, meaning there are no hidden extra costs or surprises when it comes to paying.

Once you know the full picture, you can filter options to see all the best deals – from cheaper red-eye flights to take-off and landing times based on price. You’ll find these tools on the left of every KAYAK flight search results page.

Don’t waste your time on travel myths.

Despite what many travel websites and blogs claim, there isn’t any one magic hack that will guarantee you a cheap flight.

Heard that you should only book your flight on a Tuesday? Wrong! This is a legacy of when airlines would make their fares available at predetermined times. Today it can make a difference what day you book, but there’s no perfect booking day for all flights to all destinations.

Searching across lots of devices using incognito mode to find cheap flights? Waste of time! Prices are set by complex algorithms, not by the device or browser you’re using. Check out the video below to learn more.

The simple moral of this story is that you can’t control the prices you see. All you can do is take the smart approach: follow the tips and use the KAYAK tools in this article. That way you’ll travel safe in the knowledge you got a cheap price with minimum hassle. Bon voyage.

Some of our favorite cheap flight routes.

• Cheap flights from the United States
• Cheap flights to Europe
• Cheap flights to Las Vegas
• Cheap flights to San Francisco
• Cheap flights to New York

FAQs.

This article was originally published in June 2023 and updated in August 2025.