The 3 Easiest Hacks for Booking Flights That Can Save You Hundreds
Booking airfare is one of the first steps to booking your trip – and while it can be overwhelming, we’re here to help you! There are tons of hacks for booking flights, and figuring out the best one can be a lot for something that’s not experienced.
We’re not here to confuse you or make things more difficult than they need to be. That’s why we’re sharing our top 3 hacks for booking flights. They’re super simple, and won’t require any complex systems, using VPNs, or transferring of airline points.
This guide is here to give you practical steps for travel planning, so you can explore more and spend less.
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Top 3 Hacks for Booking Flights
There are countless hacks for booking flights, but these are the most basic ones that will make the biggest difference in your understanding for saving time and money in the process.
Flexibility is the absolute main component when it comes to flight booking hacks – whether it’s dates, destinations, or airports. This is the key to being able to save money on travel, and will help you think outside the box, and have more opportunities to travel more, whatever your budget may be.
1๏ธโฃ Hacks for Booking Flights if You Just Want to Travel More
We’ve flown from New York to El Salvador for $60, gotten tickets from Turkey to Romania for $9, and even scored tickets from Europe to Africa for $3 each!
I became a master at finding these deals when I was living in Spain and had under $100/month to travel. The main secret? The “everywhere” feature on Skyscanner.
I was craving exploration, and soon learned that the most incredible adventures where those that hardly ever made it on traditional tourist itineraries. If you want to travel more and are open to experiencing places off-the-beaten-path, then this is the absolute hack for booking flights for you.
โ๏ธ How to Use the “Everywhere” Feature on Skyscanner
There’s a special box on Skyscanner that allows travelers to search flights to literally anywhere in the world!
You put in your airport and click “everywhere”. You can use selected travel dates of your choice, or you can actually search the entire month to see the cheapest dates on the calendar.
Skyscanner will gather the cheapest destinations to travel for those dates, and you can book an affordable flight to somewhere you’ve never been before! It’s easy, fun, and a spontaneous way to travel, whether it’s for a last-minute trip, or for a holiday weekend down the line you’re looking to get away for.
These flights are for this month! That means you can travel out of the country for under $100 on a last minute trip!
2๏ธโฃ Hacks for Booking Flights to Your Dream Destination
If you have just one week of vacation a year, it’s understandable that you’d want to save these days off for something special – a destination you’ve been dreaming of. So if they everywhere feature is excluded, what are some hacks for booking flights to get to the place you actually want to go to? Well, let’s go back to the calendar feature we mentioned.
If you’re dreaming to go to Paris, and can take your vacation at anytime throughout the year, then using the calendar option will help you plan that trip for the cheapest time possible! Simply put your city into the departure box, and then put Paris into destination box. From there, you can pull down the calendar and look at all of the months, exploring which dates are the most affordable!
This feature is a true game-changer for those wanting to tick off destinations on their bucket list, and is definitely one of our favorite hacks for booking flights to places we are yearning to explore.
3๏ธโฃ Hacks for Booking Flights for a Specific Trip
Not all trips are flexible – and that’s where these hacks for booking flights come in!
Let’s say your friend is having a destination wedding, your family is planning a vacation, or there is a special event happening in a specific place at a specific time. It’s hard to have flexibility there right? Wrong!
There are still some really great hacks for booking flights that we love, and will help you have a bit of flexibility to save money on airfare.
๐ฉ Try Two One-Way Flights Vs Round-Trip Flights
Most people simply put their destination and look up round-trip flights. While round-trip flights can sometimes be more affordable, this oftentimes is not the case. First, check the round-trip tickets for your dates, and then try doing two one-way flights instead. Sometimes one airline is cheaper going there, and another is cheaper flying back.
Another reason we love doing two one-way flights is because God-forbid you miss your first flight, you won’t have to worry about the next one.
What do we mean by this? Many airlines will actually cancel your return flight if you missed the one going out. Sounds insane right? Well, it’s the sad reality, and booking two one-way flights can help avoiding double-trauma in case anything goes wrong.
๐ Play Around With Dates
Planning a trip with specific dates doesn’t mean you need to fly exactly on the date you intend. Flying a day before or after sometimes can make all of the difference in your plans, and save you tons!
Weekends are typically more expensive to fly, so if you’re able to fly out Thursday night rather than on Friday, you may be able to save a ton on your airfare.
In addition, there are flights that go out after Midnight, and they’ll be classified as the following day (because technically they are), but if you are looking to fly out at night, then checking the first flights out the following day can actually save you!
๐ฉ Play Around with Airports
While we all love sticking to our home airports, sometimes looking for a different (but still nearby) airport can be one of the best hacks for booking flights for less!
Being from New Jersey, my main airport is Newark, but sometimes I’ll check LGA, JFK, or even Stewart Airport as alternatives. If I’m not finding great deals, I’ll even extend that search to check Atlantic City or Philadelphia. This has actually saved me several times for saving lots of money!
This also works particularly well in Europe, where you can even fly to a nearby country and take a quick train over to the city you’re looking to visit. For example, flights to Dubrovnik might be a fortune, but Kotor in Montenegro might have a deal, and it’s just a short ride away from Dubrovnik.
๐ Keep an Open Mind for Layovers
Oftentimes I hear people say they’ll only take direct flights. To me, this is insane! Sometimes you can save hundreds of dollars to have a layover, and you’ll have a stopover of 12+ hours.
It sounds like you’re losing time, but the reality is it may be an epic opportunity to include another city on your itinerary, especially if the airport is close to the city center. I’ve had some incredible layovers in the past, and this is one of my favorite hacks for booking flights, especially in Europe.
Some airlines will even pay for a hotel for an overnight stay, meaning you’re even getting a free night to enjoy the city the stopover is in! Don’t sleep on layovers, and keep them in your search. Just make sure you’re analyzing the hours of the layover so that you’re not choosing one that will have you on an overnight nightmare.
A Layover in Lisbon: The Best Things to Do in One Day
Lisbon is a fantastic destination for a layover, and this guide helps you enjoy your stopover rather than sitting in the airport for hours on end.
Hacks for Booking Flights: Final Thoughts & Whats’ Next
Now you know some of our favorite hacks for booking flights! As you see, there are some super simple ways to diversify your flight searches.
While there are tons of hacks for booking flights out there, these are the simplest ones that can really make a difference in how you book your trips, especially if you’re not an expert.
Remember, flexibility is key, and if you ever need more guidance, you can book a consultation with us or have us plan your entire trip for you.
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๐ What’s Next?
Now you know some of our favorite hacks for booking flights! But there is so much more to learn when it comes to planning epic travels.
Here are some other guides that will help you greatly:
๐ How to plan your 2026 travels
๐ค How to visit expensive destinations on a budget
๐ 30 Ways to become a more eco-friendly traveler
๐ฒ 10 Travel apps that will save you time and money
๐ 10 Travel essentials you didnโt know you needed
๐งณ 28 Life-changing packing tips
๐ Top 6 backpacks for travelers
โ๏ธ Strategies for booking your trip
๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป 10 Tips for working remotely while traveling
So are you ready to start booking your airfare? We hope these hacks for booking flights have helped you learn a thing or two, and that they’ll save you a ton of money for your travels!
Want more travel tips? Donโt miss out on our other planning and packing guides. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for all of our weekly updates, and for exclusive discounts on our shop!
Still feeling overwhelmed? We can plan your trip for you, or you can sign up for a consultation where we give you an hour or two of our time and guide you specifically in the right direction.
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