Finding great flight deals always feels good, especially now that budgets are tighter. But it’s not all down to good luck. There’s an art to always getting the best prices. Find out how to make the most of our money-saving tools, along with some data-backed tips.

When it comes to finding great flight deals, the travelsphere is packed with complicated strategies and easy-to-debunk myths. It’s time to cut through the nonsense. We’re looking at actual data to show you what really works. Ready to always grab a bargain? Let’s go.

First things first: understand the science behind flight pricing

Most airlines price their flights dynamically, so prices can change from day to day or even hour to hour. Airlines look at affordability, demand, availability and lots of other factors when pricing their flights. But there is a pattern to it. Skyscanner’s travel nerds (data experts), have found flight tickets tend to follow a weekly cycle. Prices are usually lower earlier in the week.

If you want to cut through the guesswork, sign up for a Skyscanner Price Alert. You’ll get a notification whenever the price of your flight changes. It’s free, and easy to turn off.

Is it better to search for flights in incognito mode?

If you’re searching for flights with Skyscanner, you don’t need to switch into incognito mode or clear your cache and cookies. We never use any form of tracking to change flight results. You can browse safe in the knowledge that we’re always showing the best prices we can find.

What day is cheapest to book flights?

We’ve seen some general trends when it comes to flight pricing. Flight prices tend to follow a weekly cycle, and are often priced lower earlier in the week than later. Mid-week flights tend to be cheaper than weekend flights. But, every journey is different. There’s always the chance the flight you want won’t follow the trend when it comes to pricing. Skip the guesswork and let a Skyscanner Price Alert tell you when a price drops.

Should you check multiple websites to find the best deal?

Gone are the days of keeping 25 airline and travel agent tabs open, searching daily for the best flight prices. Thanks to our tech team, Skyscanner searches over 10 billion (yes, with a B) prices daily, from the world’s best airlines and travel websites, to find the right flight for you. And it’s not just price you can filter for. Find flights based on speed, value for money and environmental impact.

Score great flight deals during sales

While there are great deals to be found all year long, this is when flights are likely to go on sale:

Find great flight deals with Skyscanner features

Delete your flight spreadsheets and browser bookmarks. The Skyscanner website and Skyscanner app make it easy to find the best deals, no matter where you’re going. Here are some of our favourite features:

   Find flights to Everywhere

It pays to be spontaneous. When typing your destination on the Skyscanner website or app, look for the ‘Everywhere‘ option. We’ll reveal the cheapest destinations in Europe and all around the world for the dates you’d like to travel, based on prices found within the last eight days.

   Search for flights by month

It’s easier to find great flight deals if your travel dates are flexible. Select ‘Whole month‘ on the search calendar. We’ll show you the cheapest prices for that route and month found within the last 4 days. If you’re super flexible, selecting ‘cheapest month’ will give you the best shot at finding cheap flights throughout the year.

   Multiple cities, one booking

Going around the world, or want to extend yourlayover? Instead of searching for multiple one-way flights, use the Skyscanner multi-city search feature to save money and simplify your plans. We’ll look at multiple airlines and online travel agents for your trip, creating the best (and cheapest) itinerary for you.

   Pounce when prices drop

When you find a flight you like, with a price you don’t, set a Skyscanner Price Alert. We’ll watch the flight, or flights, you’re interested in and send an email or push notification when prices change. This is the best way to find a deal if you have a few weeks or months before you’re planning to buy.

Mix and match

You don’t have to book return flights, even if you are planning on coming home. Sometimes it’s cheaper to fly out with one airline and back with another. You can also look at flying in/out of one airport and back to/from another. This is especially handy for cities with multiple airports like Paris, London and New York. Sometimes it’s cheaper to travel a little within the UK, too. For example, flights from Edinburgh might cost more than taking the train to and flying out of Manchester Airport. It does take a bit of fiddling about in flight search to find the best deals, but it can result in finding really great flight deals.

Ready to find great flight deals?

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