How to Save Money on Flights: 12 Ways to Find Cheap Flights
Airfare moves with demand, season, route and how many seats are left, so nobody can promise you the lowest price. What you can control is how flexible you are, how you compare prices, which fare you pick and what you do after you book. Here are 12 habits that help you save on a domestic flight or an international flight, plus the two federal rules that protect your money once you buy.
1. Be flexible on dates
Before you book flights, loosen the dates. Fares on the same route can differ from one day to the next. If you search only one set of dates, you see only one price. Most flight search tools have a calendar or month view that shows the cheapest fare for each day; use it before you settle on travel dates. If a day or two either way shows a lower fare, shifting the trip costs you nothing else.
Peak season is when demand is highest: school breaks, major holidays and your destination's busy months. If your dates are tied to a holiday, start watching prices early so you know what a fair fare looks like. If they are not, price the weeks just before and after the busy season too, and compare.
2. Check nearby airports, then do the math
Search every airport within reasonable driving distance of home, and every airport near your destination. Many search tools let you add several airports at once. Fares can differ between airports in the same area, in either direction, so check them all.
Then add the real cost of getting there: gas, parking, a train ticket, an extra hotel night or a rideshare at 4 a.m. A lower fare is not a deal if the ground trip costs more than you saved.
3. Compare the total price, not the headline fare
Under a Department of Transportation rule (14 CFR 399.84), an airfare advertised in the US must show the full price you pay the airline, including government taxes and fees. That makes base fares easier to compare. What the advertised fare does not include is the optional extras: checked bags, carry-on bags on some fares, seat selection and change fees.
Before you book a flight, write down the total for your actual trip: fare, bags each way and seats if you care about sitting together. The cheapest fare on the screen is often not the cheapest flight once you add what you need.
4. Know what basic economy gives up
Basic economy fares are the lowest price many airlines sell, and the trade-offs vary by airline. Common ones are no seat choice until check-in, boarding last, no changes or a forfeited fare if you cancel, and on some airlines no full-size carry-on bag. For a short trip with only a backpack, that can be a fine deal. For a family that wants to sit together, or anyone whose plans might change, the next fare up can cost less in the end. Read the fare rules on the airline's site before you pay.
5. Pack light to skip bag fees
Bag fees add up fast on a round trip, and more so for a family. If you can fit a trip into a carry-on and a personal item, you save money and time at the airport. Check your airline's size and weight limits before you pack, because the low-cost carriers measure. Our luggage guide covers what size bag fits where.
6. Set fare alerts and watch the trend
Most flight search sites and airline apps let you set a price alert for a route and dates. Set one as soon as you know where you want to go, then watch the flight price for a week or two before you buy. You will learn what a normal fare looks like for that route, which makes it easier to spot the best deals and to know when a price is good enough to book.
No official source publishes a "best day to book" that holds for every route, so be wary of anyone who promises one. Watching your own route is more reliable.
7. Look at connecting flights and layovers
Nonstop flights cost more on many routes. A connecting flight with a reasonable layover can be the cheapest way to fly, especially for an international flight. Turn off the "nonstop only" filter and compare.
Keep the connection on one ticket when you can. If both flights are on the same reservation and the first one is late, the airline generally rebooks you under its own policies. If you build your own connection with two separate tickets, the second airline has no duty to wait or rebook you, and you may need to collect and recheck your luggage. If you do it anyway, leave a long buffer. Our airport tips cover how to move through a connection.
8. Price one-way tickets and mixed airlines
A round trip on one airline is not always the cheapest way. Compare two one-way tickets, on the same airline or on different ones, for your outbound and return. This is quick to check on domestic flights and on international routes. Sometimes the round trip wins and sometimes the one-ways do; the only way to know is to price both.
9. Use points and a loyalty program on purpose
Airline loyalty program miles and travel credit card points can pay for some or all of a ticket. They tend to be worth the most when cash fares are high, so compare before you spend them. A few things to keep in mind:
- Join the free loyalty program of the airlines you fly most, even if you fly only a few times a year.
- Compare the cash price with the points price before you redeem, and keep the points if the cash fare is low.
- A travel credit card only saves money if you pay the balance in full every month. Interest and annual fees can wipe out the rewards.
- Read the card's terms on the issuer's site. Some cards include travel insurance or bag benefits; many do not.
10. Book, then use the 24-hour rule
This is the federal rule that lets you lock in a good fare without risk. Under DOT rule 14 CFR 259.5, when you book directly with a covered airline at least one week before departure, the airline must either hold the reservation at the quoted fare for 24 hours without payment, or let you cancel within 24 hours without a penalty. Each airline picks which option it offers.
So if you find a good price, you can book your flight and keep looking for a day. If something cheaper shows up, or you spot a mistake in names or dates, cancel inside the window. Bookings through a third-party site follow that site's terms, so read them first.
11. Keep watching the price after you book
If the fare drops after you buy, some airlines let you change to the lower fare and keep the difference as a travel credit, depending on the fare type. Basic economy usually cannot be changed. Keep your price alert running until you fly; it costs nothing.
12. Know your refund rights if the airline changes your flight
Under the DOT refund rule published in April 2024 (in effect since October 28, 2024), if an airline cancels your flight or makes a significant change and you do not accept the rebooking or other compensation it offers, you are owed a refund, not just a voucher. A significant change includes a departure or arrival moved by three or more hours on a domestic itinerary or six or more hours on an international one, a different airport, an extra connection, or a downgrade to a lower class. The rule calls for prompt refunds: within 7 business days for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other forms of payment.
DOT has said it is reviewing parts of this rule, including how it defines a cancelled flight, so check the refunds page on transportation.gov for the current version before you ask for your money back.
What not to do: hidden-city ticketing
This is the hack people bring up most. Hidden-city ticketing means buying a ticket to a city beyond where you actually want to go, then leaving at the connection because the longer trip was cheaper. It can work, but the risks are real. Airline contracts of carriage commonly ban it, and an airline can cancel the rest of your itinerary or charge you the fare you skipped. Checked bags go to the final city on the ticket, not where you got off. If the airline reroutes you through a different city on a delay, the plan falls apart. We do not recommend it.
Do you need travel insurance for a cheap fare?
The cheapest fares are usually the least flexible. If you could not lose the money on a nonrefundable ticket, travel insurance with trip cancellation coverage is worth a look; if you could, it may not be. Our guide on whether travel insurance is worth it walks through what it covers.
Quick checklist to find cheap flights
- Search a range of dates, not one
- Check every nearby airport, then add ground costs
- Compare the total price with bags and seats
- Read the basic economy rules before you pick it
- Set a fare alert and learn the normal price
- Look at one-stop routes and one-way combinations
- Price the trip in points as well as cash
- Book direct, then use the 24-hour window to keep shopping
- Keep the alert running after you buy
None of these is a trick. Together, they are the best way to save money on airfare without breaking any airline's rules.
Sources: US Department of Transportation rules via eCFR (14 CFR 259.5 24-hour reservation requirement, 14 CFR 260 airline refunds, 14 CFR 399.84 full-fare advertising), DOT final rule on airline refunds (Federal Register, April 26, 2024) and DOT notice of enforcement discretion (Federal Register, December 5, 2025). Airline fees and fare rules vary and change; check the airline's own site and transportation.gov before you book.
