Trying to find a killer\u00a0deal on a flight can feel like an endless search with too many options. Every day there seems to be a new app<\/a> or website<\/a> claiming to have the best offers,\u00a0but how do you really<\/em> know if you\u2019re getting the best one? That\u2019s why I\u2019ve developed systems to easily find the\u00a0best-value deal, based on the timing before my travel. Do I need to book the flight immediately, or do I have time to research? Depending on the answer to that\u00a0question, I employ these tools and hacks.<\/p>\n Whenever I need to book a flight right away, I go through the same three steps. The problem with airfare deals is that you can\u2019t just search for a great deal on a single\u00a0website. Well, you can, but you won\u2019t find the best deal, because\u00a0airfare prices change minute by minute. The old advice was to search for airfare on Tuesday or Wednesday nights, but that no longer applies now that airlines have become so competitive with each other.<\/p>\n With\u00a0Google Flights<\/a>,\u00a0I can search by destination\u00a0and the approximate dates I\u2019m traveling, then figure out the best-priced airline-and-day combination to score a deal. Google Flights works with the majority of airlines, and it will give you a good lay of the land, helping\u00a0you figure\u00a0out the cheapest travel days.<\/p>\n Once I have the information from Google Flights, I head over to Momondo<\/a> and Skyscanner<\/a> to search for the best price. These sites compile prices of flights from hundreds of companies, meaning you\u2019ll likely see lower prices and more flight options than you did on Google Flights for the date you searched. You can refine your search to find out prices for economy plus, business class,\u00a0and first class.<\/p>\n After checking Momondo and Skyscanner, I\u00a0go to the actual airline website\u00a0and search the same flight to see how prices\u00a0compare. Sometimes the airline website will have a better deal, and sometimes it\u00a0won\u2019t. There isn\u2019t an exact science to it, so it\u2019s essential to go through these three steps each time.<\/p>\n One thing to note:\u00a0often the deals you find on airline-deal websites represent the lowest-price\u00a0option. What that means is\u00a0you have to pay extra for baggage (if that\u2019s an option), and you can\u2019t reserve a seat ahead of time. You\u2019ll want to pay attention to these details if they\u2019re important to you and change your search to include a fare with bags and a seat of your choice.<\/p>\n If you have any credit-card or rewards points, you\u2019ll want to check out those\u00a0sites, too,\u00a0and see if you can use miles to help fund\u00a0airfare. Using your credit-card points<\/a> is a great way to save money, because most rewards programs will let you transfer your points to an airline or purchase the flight through their website for a discounted price. For instance, I\u2019m a big fan of the Chase Sapphire Preferred<\/a>\u00a0card because if I book a flight through its\u00a0rewards center, I get a 25 percent\u00a0bonus reduction on the price.<\/p>\n I have a laundry list of all the places I want to visit<\/a>, so I\u2019m always on the lookout for future deals.<\/p>\n Scott\u2019s Cheap Flights<\/a>\u00a0sends me a ton of great travel deals. This is a membership site that charges $39 per\u00a0year and, in return, sends e-mail\u00a0with incredible flight and travel deals that you won\u2019t find anywhere else. Scott\u2019s\u00a0finds peak-season deals, mistake-fare deals, and other recent deals every day. You can plug in the airport nearest to you, and the site will deliver deals that are most relevant. I took a trip to Europe last year on a mistake-fare e-mail deal and\u00a0saved over $500.<\/p>\n Another great resource is Airfarewatchdog<\/a>. On this site, you can set airfare alerts to\u00a0let you know when a flight deal is available. Airfarewatchdog also features loads of airfare deals as\u00a0they come available, and it shops the best deals for you. The site\u00a0is ideal\u00a0if you\u2019re not set on a particular day that you want to travel and are looking for bargain\u00a0when it comes along.<\/p>\n Lastly, Twitter is a great place to score airfare deals. I follow all the airlines I travel with, and often the airlines\u00a0will post a special deal or code for its followers to use. Even if the deal is only 5 to\u00a010 percent\u00a0off the regular booking price, it\u2019s still money you\u2019re saving.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nI Need to Book a Flight, Like, Yesterday<\/h2>\n
Step 1: Scan Google Flights<\/h3>\n
Step 2: Use\u00a0Momondo and Skyscanner<\/h3>\n
Step 3: Double-Check the Airline\u2019s Website<\/h3>\n
Step 4 (Bonus):\u00a0Use Credit-Card Rewards<\/h3>\n
I\u2019ve Got Some Breathing Room<\/h2>\n
![\"airplane\"](\"http:\/\/sudlatnid.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/airplane-airport-terminal_s.jpg\")
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