How to Save Money on Flights: 15 Expert Tips

Flights are usually the single biggest expense of any trip. But here's the thing — most people overpay by 20-40% simply because they don't know the right strategies. After booking hundreds of flights across six continents, I've distilled everything I know into these 15 tips that actually work in 2026.

1. Book on Tuesday or Wednesday Afternoons

This isn't a myth — airlines typically release sales on Monday evenings, and by Tuesday afternoon, competitors have matched prices. Data from Hopper and Google Flights confirms that Tuesday and Wednesday consistently offer the lowest average fares.

The sweet spot: Search between 1 PM and 4 PM on Tuesdays for the best deals.

However, don't obsess over the day of the week. The difference is typically 3-5%. The tips below will save you far more.

2. Use the 21-Day Rule (But Know the Exceptions)

Booking domestic flights 21-60 days in advance and international flights 60-90 days in advance typically yields the best prices. But this is an average — not a rule.

When to Book Earlier

• Peak holiday periods (Christmas, summer, Golden Week): Book 3-6 months out
• Routes with limited competition: The fewer airlines flying a route, the earlier you should book
• Business-heavy routes: Monday/Friday flights between major cities fill up fast

When to Book Later

• Off-peak travel: Shoulder season flights often get cheaper as departure approaches
• Budget airlines: They occasionally drop prices to fill remaining seats
• Flexible destination travelers: Last-minute deals favor those who can go anywhere

3. Always Search in Incognito Mode

Airlines and booking sites use cookies to track your searches. If you search the same route multiple times, prices may appear to increase — creating artificial urgency to make you book.

Open an incognito/private browsing window before every flight search. It takes two seconds and can save you $50-200.

4. Use Google Flights' Explore Feature

This is the most underrated flight tool in existence. Instead of searching a specific route:

1. Go to Google Flights
2. Enter your departure city
3. Leave the destination as "Everywhere"
4. Select your dates (or use the flexible dates option)
5. See a map of the cheapest destinations

This is especially powerful for flexible travelers. You might discover that flying to Lisbon costs half as much as flying to London on the same dates.

5. Set Up Price Alerts on Multiple Platforms

Don't check flight prices manually. Let technology do it:

• Google Flights: Set alerts for specific routes — you'll get emails when prices drop
• Hopper: Predicts whether prices will go up or down and tells you when to buy
• Skyscanner: "Whole month" view shows the cheapest day to fly
• TripGenie: AI-powered alerts that factor in your preferences and budget

Set alerts for 3-5 routes simultaneously. This gives you optionality — you can pounce on whichever deal drops first.

6. Be Flexible with Dates (Even by One Day)

Shifting your departure or return by a single day can save you 20-50%. Here's a real example:

• New York to Tokyo, March 15: $1,200
• New York to Tokyo, March 16: $780
• New York to Tokyo, March 14: $850

That one-day shift saves $420. Always check the day before and after your preferred dates.

Use Google Flights' calendar view or Skyscanner's "whole month" feature to visualize price differences across dates.

7. Consider Nearby Airports

Flying into or out of a nearby airport can dramatically reduce costs. Examples:

• London: Heathrow vs. Gatwick vs. Stansted vs. Luton
• New York: JFK vs. Newark vs. LaGuardia vs. Stewart
• Tokyo: Narita vs. Haneda
• Paris: CDG vs. Orly vs. Beauvais

The savings can be hundreds of dollars. Factor in ground transportation costs to make sure it's actually cheaper overall.

8. Mix Airlines for Round Trips

Most people book round trips on a single airline. But sometimes booking two one-way tickets on different airlines is significantly cheaper.

For example, flying outbound on a legacy carrier with checked bags and returning on a budget carrier with just carry-on. Tools like Kiwi.com are designed for exactly this type of mixed-carrier booking.

9. Use Points and Miles Strategically

If you're not earning travel points on your everyday spending, you're leaving money on the table. The basic strategy:

• Get a travel credit card with a solid sign-up bonus (often worth $500-1,000 in travel)
• Use it for all spending — groceries, gas, subscriptions, everything
• Transfer points to airline partners for outsized value (business class sweet spots)

The best point values are typically on long-haul business class, where $10,000+ tickets can be booked for 60,000-80,000 points.

10. Look for Mistake Fares

Airlines occasionally publish fares with pricing errors — sometimes dramatically so. Business class for $300? It happens more often than you think.

Where to Find Mistake Fares

• Secret Flying (secretflying.com): Aggregates mistake fares and deals
• The Points Guy (thepointsguy.com): Reports on error fares quickly
• FlyerTalk forums: Community-sourced deal alerts
• Twitter/X: Follow @SecretFlying, @TheFlightDeal, @ScottsCheapFlights

Important Rules

• Book immediately — mistake fares disappear within hours
• Don't call the airline to confirm (this flags it for review)
• Wait to make non-refundable plans until 2 weeks after booking
• Airlines honor mistake fares about 80% of the time under US DOT regulations

11. Fly Budget Airlines for Short Hops

For flights under 4 hours, budget airlines often offer the best value. The key is understanding what's included and what costs extra:

Typically included: Seat, one personal item

Typically extra: Checked bags, carry-on bags, seat selection, food, priority boarding

If you can travel light with just a backpack, budget airlines like Ryanair, AirAsia, Spirit, and Peach can save you 50-70% compared to full-service carriers.

12. Use a VPN to Access Regional Pricing

Airlines show different prices based on your location. A flight from Bangkok to Singapore might cost more when searched from the US than from Thailand.

Use a VPN to search from:

• The departure country
• The arrival country
• A third country (India and Brazil sometimes show lower prices)

This won't always make a difference, but when it does, savings of 10-30% are common.

13. Book Connecting Flights Separately

Sometimes booking two separate tickets with a self-transfer is dramatically cheaper than a single connecting itinerary. This works especially well when:

• Connecting through a budget airline hub (e.g., Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia)
• Transiting through a country with cheap domestic flights (e.g., India, Thailand)
• Combining a long-haul legacy flight with a short budget carrier hop

Important: When booking separate tickets, leave at least 3-4 hours between flights. If the first flight is delayed, the second airline has no obligation to help you.

14. Consider Alternative Destinations

Sometimes the "where" matters more than the "when" for savings. If your goal is "beach vacation," you might find that:

• Cancun is half the price of Hawaii
• Albania is a quarter of the price of Greece
• Vietnam costs 70% less than Thailand

Use TripGenie to explore alternatives — describe what you want from your trip, and AI will suggest destinations that match your vibe and budget.

15. Stack Multiple Savings Strategies

The real magic happens when you combine several of these tips. Here's a real example:

Original search: New York to Bali, Christmas week, $2,400

After optimization:

• Flew December 27 instead of December 23: -$400
• Booked Newark instead of JFK: -$150
• Found a fare on Google Flights Explore through Singapore: -$300
• Booked two separate tickets (NYC-Singapore, Singapore-Bali): -$200
• Used credit card points for the Singapore-Bali leg: -$180

Final cost: $1,170 (51% savings!)

The Bottom Line

You don't need to be a flight hacking expert to save serious money. Even implementing 3-4 of these tips will save you hundreds on your next booking.

The key principles are:

• Be flexible — with dates, airports, and even destinations
• Use technology — price alerts, AI tools, and comparison sites
• Book strategically — timing matters, and combining strategies compounds savings
• Stay informed — follow deal sites and set alerts

Ready to find cheap flights for your next trip? Try TripGenie — our AI compares prices across airlines and suggests the optimal booking strategy for your budget.