Seven tips for finding the LFP (lowest fare possible)
It pays to plan ahead. The closer you are to your traveling day the more you pay. Why? Because a while back some smart guys and gals at an airline figured out that business travelers tend to schedule meetings at the last minute and have the least flexibility. So while the airlines stick it to the business folk, a well-organized vacationer can take advantage. To find the best fares for you, search for your trip on KAYAK and complete your booking 21 days or more in advance; for next best try for 14 or more. You still here? What are you waiting for?
SMTWTFS? The flexibility to travel on another day can result in dramatically lower fares. So next time you search on KAYAK, select the flexible dates option. You'll probably find that flying Saturday is cheaper (though not so much for international). Likewise, traveling mid-week (Tuesday or Wednesday) is usually cheaper than Monday or Thursday/Friday: consultants love to travel on Monday mornings and fly back Thursday (of course, they still bill you for Friday but that's another story).
All of life is timing. The key to getting the lowest fare is to fly when others are not. The "dead times" will vary by route (early morning and late night are good for leisure routes, mid-day is usually best for business routes). Select the "Anytime" option and use our filtering tools to focus your way to a cheaper fare.
Avoid peak travel seasons. See a theme here? Don't travel when everyone else is. Go to Disneyland or Las Vegas after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. Not only will the flights be cheaper but the lines shorter, too. Or fly on Christmas day when everyone is there already (and the flight attendants are extra nice).
Thank you for choosing. When low cost carriers like JetBlue or Easyjet simplified their pricing structure to offer lower prices more often, it wasn't long before everyone was doing it. But not every airline's price structure works in the same way. That's why we compare so many airlines across hundreds of travel sites to get you the best price. You could say we have a flair for finding the cheapest fare (but maybe not for poetry).
Location, location, location. Speaking of low cost carriers, many of them fly into alternative airports (like Burbank or Long Beach instead of LAX or Stansted instead of London Heathrow) and what they save in airport fees they pass onto you. You may also appreciate the added benefit of less traffic, cheaper rental cars and fewer people at the airport bars, too. Whenever you search with KAYAK, we can automatically show you rates from nearby airports.
Easily the most important... search KAYAK before you book.