How to Find Cheap Flights Anywhere in the World

Flying internationally can be absurdly expensive. And trying to find cheap flights for the average traveler can feel nearly impossible. Many travelers don’t realize there are traveling hacks that will help you land cheap flights with deals that seem too good to be true.

In the past five years, I haven’t paid more than $600 for an international flight, and all but one has been less than $500. As recently as last March, I flew $300 roundtrip from Kansas City to Munich, Germany. And this year, I’m headed to Belize on a $130 roundtrip ticket. My cheap flights are more than luck. I’ve used many travel hacking methods along the way. Finding cheap flights anywhere in the world is completely possible with the right tools.

Here are five ways to find cheap tickets anywhere in the world:

1. Utilize airfare apps and websites

There are numerous travel apps and websites that assist with booking tickets. Most people are aware of Google Flights and Kayak, but these programs guide travelers through already existing airfare prices through optimized costs. There are, however, many other apps and websites that help travelers find cheaper flights.

Going (formally Scott’s Cheap Flights) emails subscribers “too good to be true” airfare prices. Going is great for the traveler that has flexibility in destination and dates since its algorithm sends flight alert emails when a flight deal becomes available. Generally, you have to book your tickets within a pretty short time window to get the discounted prices but you can find tickets that fit into your travel budget. Going offers a free and paid subscription. I have the paid subscription and absolutely love it. About three times a month, I’m tempted to drop what I’m doing and buy a plane ticket.

Hopper is an app that monitors airfare pricing fluctuations and gives you trend insights on when to purchase tickets. It won’t give you the discounts Scott’s Cheap Flights does, but if you have a destination in mind and want a good price – but maybe not a “too good to be true” price – it’s a great tool to have.

2. Fly in (or out) of a hub

Flying to or from a hub is one of the easiest ways to save money on international flights. Low cost carriers are popping up across the world and are a cheap and easy way to save hundreds of dollars. It’s a creative solution to get you to your destination, but you have to be comfortable having separate tickets and maybe spending a day or afternoon in a city you didn’t intend to visit.

All airlines operate out of networks of hubs that are often their connecting flight locations. My husband and I did this when we went to Southeast Asia on our honeymoon. Flights were close to $1,400 per person from Louisville! Instead of booking from Louisville, we flew New York to Bangkok for $600 per person and booked flights on a low cost carrier to New York City. Even with spending a night in New York, we still saved $600 on our flights.

3. Travel during shoulder season

Traveling during shoulder season offers value on hotels and activities but also airfare. Shoulder season is the time between high and low travel for a destination. And making your trip during non-peak times is the best way to save on airfare. During shoulder season, the crowds are smaller, hotels are not at capacity, and the weather is improving.

This is my favorite time of year to travel. Hotels offer incredible deals, there are very few tourists, and attractions are cheaper. Be sure to Google your destination to check on high, low and shoulder season schedules.

4. Utilize a travel rewards credit card

Travel rewards cards are probably the easiest way to get free and discounted flights anywhere in the world. And it doesn’t take much effort if you use your card for daily purchases and pay if in full every month. Additionally, most airline reward cards offer huge sign-up bonuses that amount to free international travel just for signing up. Cards like the Capital One Venture X are great earners but their bonus can get you a free flight basically anywhere in the world, too!

Frequent flyer mile programs are also a great tool if you don’t want a credit card. You can earn miles while traveling, and most also offer shopping browsers to earn miles.

5. Be flexible for your travel dates

A traveler’s biggest mistake is that they have three criteria when they book flights: 1. They pick where they want to go, 2. They pick their travel dates, and 3. They look up available flights for that destination only on specified dates.

This is the most common way people plan for travel. But if you look at a trip backwards instead, you can find cheap flights anywhere in the world. The easiest starting point is to use the Google Flights flexible search option to look at various dates all over the world to find deals. I typically will search a section of the world, like “Europe” to see a variety of destinations at once. If you have a specific destination in mind, you can also use Google Flights and other search engines to look at different travel dates. Sometimes even a couple of days difference can save you hundred of dollars!

Over the years I’ve used all of these tools to help find cheap flights, sometimes by themselves and sometimes in combinations. The point is, you shouldn’t settle for expensive, outdated methods of travel planning. And, thankfully, you don’t have to. Outwit the airlines, and take the trip of a lifetime!

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