3 Simple Steps to Get the Cheapest Airfares
Use the right site to find the best fares, be flexible and continue to monitor prices after you book.
Step 1
Go to Kayak.com/flights and enter your departure city, destination and travel dates. The tool scours travel and airline sites for the best fares. (Kayak doesn’t include fares from Southwest Airlines, so you’ll have to visit Southwest.com separately.) If enough data is available, the “Price Trend” feature lets you know whether to buy a ticket now or wait for a potential price drop.
Step 2
If your plans are flexible, try testing different dates and airports. You may save money by flying on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday afternoon or out of a satellite airport. At Airfarewatchdog.com, you can sign up to get e-mail alerts when low fares pop up on routes you choose. You can also subscribe to e-mail alerts directly from the airlines.
Step 3
After you book a flight, continue to monitor prices. A federal rule allows you to change or cancel a flight without charge within 24 hours of booking it. Even if you find a better price after a day has passed, you may be able to rebook your flight and get a refund for the difference from the airline. And at Yapta.com, you can enter your flight information to get e-mail notifications if prices for nine airlines sink enough to outweigh any change fees.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The payoff
You’ll save money and beat the airlines at their own game.
To continue reading this article
please register for free
This is different from signing in to your print subscription
Why am I seeing this? Find out more here
-
Earn Delta SkyMiles Worth Up to $1,800 with an AMEX Business Card
Delta SkyMiles and American Express offer 150,000 on business credit card for new cardholders.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
-
Stock Market Today: Markets Soar Amid Strong Earnings for Big Tech
Equities ended the week on an up note thanks to some of the market's biggest names.
By Dan Burrows Published
-
403(b) Contribution Limits for 2024
retirement plans Teachers and nonprofit workers can contribute more to a 403(b) retirement plan in 2024 than they could in 2023.
By Jackie Stewart Published
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2024
Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up for 2024. Here's what you need to know.
By Jackie Stewart Published
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnb
real estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
By Miriam Cross Published
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute Vacation
Travel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
By Vaishali Varu Last updated
-
Best Places to Visit Where the Dollar Is Strong
From the Americas and Europe to Africa and Asia, we list the 10 best places to travel to where the U.S. dollar is the strongest.
By Quincy Williamson Last updated
-
24 Best Travel Websites to Find Deals and Save You Money
Travel Use Kiplinger's guide to the best travel websites and find discounts and deals so you can vacation without breaking the bank.
By Rivan V. Stinson Last updated
-
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
insurance Instead of relying on rules of thumb, you’re better off taking a systematic approach to figuring your life-insurance needs.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
-
When Is Amazon Prime Day?
Amazon Prime In 2023 Amazon had two Prime Day events — one in July and another, called Big Deal Days, in October. We expect 2024 to follow the same schedule.
By Bob Niedt Last updated