Traveling can be one of the most rewarding experiences, but the cost of flights often holds people back. Fortunately, with a bit of strategy and know-how, you can find cheap flights and save significantly on your travel budget. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you become a savvy flight shopper.
1. Be Flexible with Your Travel Dates
One of the best ways to save money on flights is to be flexible with your travel dates. Prices can vary significantly depending on the day of the week, time of year, and even time of day. Midweek flights are often cheaper than weekend ones. Use tools like Google Flights, Skyscanner, or Kayak to compare prices over a range of dates.
2. Use Fare Comparison Websites
Fare comparison websites aggregate flight prices from various airlines and travel agencies, making it easier to spot the best deals. Some popular sites include:
- Google Flights: Offers a comprehensive view of flight options and allows you to set alerts for price changes.
- Skyscanner: Provides flexible search options and a user-friendly interface.
- Momondo: Often finds deals that other search engines miss.
3. Set Price Alerts
Most flight search engines allow you to set price alerts for specific routes. By doing this, you’ll receive notifications when prices drop, allowing you to snag a deal before it’s gone. Google Flights, Skyscanner, and Airfarewatchdog are excellent tools for this purpose.
4. Book at the Right Time
Timing is one of the most reliable ways to save money on flights. Here is what the data consistently shows:
Best day of the week to book:
Tuesday and Wednesday are traditionally the cheapest days to book flights. Airlines often release fare sales on Monday evenings, and competitors match those prices by Tuesday morning. Avoid booking on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays when prices tend to be highest.
How far in advance should you book?
For domestic flights within Canada, the sweet spot is typically four to eight weeks before departure. For international travel, booking three to six months in advance tends to yield the best fares — particularly for peak travel periods like summer and the holidays. Booking too early (more than nine months out) or too late (within two weeks) usually results in higher prices.
Best time of year to fly:
Shoulder seasons — late January through March and September through mid-November — consistently offer lower fares than summer and the holiday period. If your travel dates are flexible, shifting a trip from July to October can cut your airfare significantly.
Best time of day to fly:
Early morning departures (before 7am) and late-night flights are typically cheaper than midday and early evening flights. They are also less likely to be delayed, as the aircraft has not been in service all day.
5. How to Use Google Flights to Find the Cheapest Fares
Google Flights is one of the most powerful free tools available for finding cheap airfare, and most travellers are not using it to its full potential.
Price calendar view:
When you search a route on Google Flights, switch to the calendar view to see fares displayed across an entire month. This makes it immediately visible which departure dates are cheapest — often a shift of one or two days can save hundreds of dollars.
The Explore feature:
If your destination is flexible, use Google Flights’ “Explore” map view. Enter your departure city and leave the destination blank — the map will display the cheapest available fares to destinations worldwide. This is one of the best tools for travellers who are open to where they go next.
Price tracking:
On any Google Flights search, toggle the “Track prices” option. Google will send you email alerts when the price for that specific route changes — up or down. This is free and requires no account on a third-party site.
Flexible dates search:
Use the “+/- 3 days” or “+/- 1 week” option on Google Flights to see a grid of fares across a range of departure and return dates simultaneously. Combined with the price calendar, this gives you a comprehensive view of the cheapest possible combination.
6. Consider Budget Airlines
Budget airlines offer significantly lower prices compared to full-service carriers. However, be aware of additional fees for services like checked baggage, seat selection, and in-flight meals. Some popular budget airlines include:
- Ryanair (Europe)
- EasyJet (Europe)
- Spirit Airlines (USA)
- AirAsia (Asia)
7. Use Points and Miles
If you’re a frequent flyer, consider joining an airline’s loyalty program. Accumulating points or miles can lead to free flights or upgrades. Additionally, many credit cards offer sign-up bonuses and rewards that can be redeemed for flights.
8. Check Nearby Airports
Flying into or out of nearby airports can sometimes be cheaper than the main hubs. For example, if you’re traveling to New York City, check flights to Newark (EWR), LaGuardia (LGA), and John F. Kennedy (JFK). Similarly, flying out of a smaller regional airport might offer better deals.
9. Look for Hidden City Tickets
Hidden city ticketing involves booking a flight with a layover in your actual destination and skipping the final leg of the trip. Websites like Skiplagged specialize in finding these types of fares. However, use this method with caution, as airlines frown upon it and it may violate their terms of service.
10. Clear Your Cookies or Use Incognito Mode
Flight prices can sometimes increase based on your search history. To avoid this, clear your browser cookies or use incognito mode when searching for flights. This way, the prices won’t be influenced by your previous searches.
11. Take Advantage of Error Fares
Error fares occur when airlines or travel agencies accidentally list flights at significantly reduced prices. Websites like Secret Flying, Airfare Spot, and The Flight Deal specialize in spotting these errors. Act quickly when you find one, as they are corrected fast.
12. Travel During Off-Peak Times
Traveling during off-peak seasons, such as late spring or early fall, can result in lower flight prices. Additionally, flying during non-peak hours (early morning or late at night) can also save you money.
Finding cheap flights requires a combination of flexibility, research, and a bit of luck. By utilizing the strategies outlined above, you can significantly cut down your travel expenses and make your dream trip a reality. For more travel tips and tricks, follow our blog and stay updated with the latest in travel deals and advice! And remember, the Destinations Travel Clinic is always here to assist you with all your travel needs.
You’ve Booked Your Flights — Now Protect Your Trip
Finding a great deal on flights is only part of travel planning. Once your flights are confirmed, your next step is making sure you’re medically prepared for your destination.
Destinations Travel Clinic in Orléans provides pre-travel consultations for travellers heading anywhere in the world. Our travel health specialists will assess your destination-specific risks, review your vaccination history, prescribe any required or recommended vaccines, and provide advice on food safety, insect protection, and travel medications.
Whether you’re heading to sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, South America, or anywhere else, a 30-minute consultation before you leave can prevent serious illness abroad.
Frequently Asked Questions
For domestic flights within Canada, booking four to eight weeks in advance typically yields the best fares. For international travel, three to six months ahead is the general rule. Booking during shoulder seasons (late January–March and September–mid-November) also results in lower prices compared to peak summer and holiday travel periods.
Tuesday and Wednesday are generally the cheapest days to book flights. Airlines often launch sales on Monday evenings, and prices adjust downward by Tuesday morning. Weekends — particularly Fridays and Saturdays — tend to have the highest fares.
Possibly, but the effect is minor. Some flight search engines track your search history and may show higher prices on repeat searches. Searching in an incognito or private browsing window removes this variable. Using multiple comparison tools (Google Flights, Skyscanner, Kayak) and comparing results directly is more reliably effective.
Google Flights is the most powerful free tool for finding cheap fares — particularly its price calendar, flexible date search, and price tracking features. Skyscanner and Kayak are also effective comparison tools. For last-minute deals, apps like Hopper and Flight Deal Finder can surface significant discounts.
Sometimes. Comparison sites are useful for finding the cheapest available fare, but booking directly with the airline can offer advantages: easier changes, better customer service if something goes wrong, and eligibility for loyalty points. Once you identify the best fare on a comparison site, it is worth checking whether the airline’s own website matches the price.
Error fares occur when airlines or travel agencies accidentally list flights at significantly reduced prices — sometimes 50–90% below normal. They are corrected quickly, so you need to act fast. Websites like Secret Flying, The Flight Deal, and Airfare Spot monitor for these. Not all error fares are honoured by airlines, but many are.
Yes. Early morning departures (before 7am) and late-night flights are consistently cheaper than midday and early evening flights. They also tend to have lower delay rates since the aircraft starts fresh for the day.
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