Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post on how to find cheap flights in collaboration with CheapOAir. All opinions are my own.
If you’ve landed on this blog post, then I’d guess it’s a pretty safe bet that you’re interested in learning how to find cheap flights.
Was I right?
Well, let me introduce you to one of my favorite cheap flight finding tools, then: CheapOAir!
CheapOAir is literally all about finding cheap flights and other deals on things like hotels and car rentals. Their motto is even “go ahead, be cheap.” Because when you get a cheap flight deal, then you have more money to spend on the things that matter, like amazing tours, experiences, and food!
A few quick tips on how to find cheap flights
First things first, I just want to give you a few quick tips on how to find cheap flights, no matter what fight booking service you’re using.
Book Early
One of the best ways to make sure that you’re getting a good deal on your airline tickets is to book as early as possible. Like, as soon as you know you’re going on a trip. Even before that, if possible!
As the dates for your flight gets closer and closer, the prices will almost always get higher and higher, so the sooner that you book your tickets, the better.
Book Late
On the other hand, if you don’t have a specific date and location in mind, you can find some seriously amazing last-minute flight deals out there. So if you ever feel like taking a spontaneous last-minute weekend trip, then have a look and see what deals you can snag!
Be Flexible
If there aren’t specific dates that you need to fly on, then being flexible can save you some serious cash. By flying out a day or two earlier or later, or from an airport that’s a little bit farther away from you, you can get some amazing cheap flight deals.
Track Fares
Okay, so I know that I just said that you should book as early as possible (and then as late as possible), but one of my best tips on how to find cheap flights is actually to track the fares on your flight.
Many different flight booking services allow you to track fares so you can be alerted if they go up or down. What I love about CheapOAir’s fare alerts, though, is that when you click on “Get Fare Alerts”, you’ll get alerts for every flight for the dates and destination that you searched for, rather than having to individually track a bunch of different flight combinations, like you do with Google Flights.
When you do this, you’ll get an email every single time the fare changes, so you can snap it up right when it’s cheapest! And if it’s steadily rising, then you know that you should buy sooner rather than later 😉
You can learn more about setting up fare alerts with CheapOAir here.
How to Find Cheap Flights with CheapOAir
Alright, so how exactly do you go about finding great flight deals with CheapOAir, specifically? They honestly couldn’t make it easier, and if you just head to their site and explore a little, you’ll figure it out pretty fast. But here’s my personal tried and true strategy for how to find cheap flights with CheapOAir.
Step 1: Search for Flights
Once you have a destination and some general dates in mind (remember, being flexible will always play to your advantage), head over to the CheapOAir website and type in your home airport, your destination, and your dates.
Then, put in how many tickets you need from each category (I love that they have an option for youth, aka 16-25, just in case there’s a sneaky deal) and hit Search Now!
Once you’ve done this, a bunch of flight options will show up. This can honestly be a little bit intimidating at first, but here’s how to figure it all out.
Step 2: Check the Suggested Alternate Dates & Airports
Once your flight results are up on your screen, you’ll likely see at least 1 result (if not more) that’s highlighted in a little green box. It’ll say something along the lines of “Save $XX by selecting this alternative date and nearby airport”.
This is where being flexible comes in handy, because CheapOAir automatically adds suggestions for cheaper flights on different dates or from different airports to your search results, meaning you’ll never overlook a potential opportunity to save money.
Step 3: Check the Low Fare Calendar to find Cheap Flights
Once you’ve gone through your search results, it’s a good idea to check out the low fare calendar (located on the left above the results) to see if there are even cheaper days a little bit further away from your chosen dates. If there really is no specific time period that you need to be going somewhere, then this is a great way to figure out when the absolute cheapest flights are!
Step 4: Get Fare Alerts
If you’re not ready to book your flight just yet, then head over to the top left-hand corner of the screen and click on “Get Fare Alerts.” Like I talked about earlier, you’ll then get alerts straight to your inbox any time there’s a change in the fares for your destination & dates, so you can snatch up a great deal when you see one!
Step 5: Be Reassured by CheapOAir’s Price Match Guarantee
If you are ready to book your flight, then go ahead and do so. There’s no need to worry that you’ll find a cheaper price anywhere else, because if you do (within 24 hours of booking), CheapOAir has a price match guarantee!
Step 6: Book Your Flights!
Once you’ve found the best deal possible, you’re ready to book your tickets. Have a great trip!
Additional Ways to Save with CheapOAir
Of course, searching for tickets isn’t the only way to find deals with CheapOAir. Here are a few more pro tips on how to find cheap flights!
Sign Up for CheapOAir Rewards
I always recommend signing up for literally all of the rewards programs, because you never know when those points might come in handy!
When you sign up for CheapOAir rewards, you automatically get 500 points. Then, you get 1 point for each dollar spent on flights, hotels, and car rentals. You can then redeem those points on flights and hotels. 200 points = $1.
Another added benefit to being a part of the CheapOAir rewards program is that you get access to special members-only deals and fare alerts!
Check the Deals
When I’m just searching for travel inspiration, one of my favorite things to do is check out the different travel deals from my home airport. Like any great flight booking website, CheapOAir has a section for this.
And be sure to be signed into your rewards account for the best deals!
Check for Promo Codes
CheapOAir does have booking fees, but you can often find promo codes to get a discount on these or other things. It never hurts to type “CheapOAir” promo codes into Google before you check out!
For the month of November, for example, you can use the code NOV20 to get $20 off their booking fees.
Call them Up
Finally, if you’re looking for the really good deals that CheapOAir isn’t allowed to advertise online, then you’re going to want to call them up. Their phone lines are open 24/7 so you can get the best deals even if you’re surfing for them in the middle of the night 🙂
How to Find Cheap Flights: My Experience with CheapOAir
Now, while this is technically a sponsored post, I do genuinely love CheapOAir, so I wanted to share a story about a time I found great flights with them!
Just a few weeks ago, I was searching for flights down to Florida from Washington DC in January (I’m getting my PADI Advanced Open Water certification!!!). Everywhere I looked, it was $250+ dollars for DC to Miami flights.
But when I went to CheapOAir, they immediately put up those alternative dates and airports, and I was able to save almost $100 by changing up my dates (which were totally arbitrary when I was searching, ngl) and flying out of BWI instead of the DC airports and into Fort Lauderdale. Score!
And that’s it for this guide on how to find cheap flights with CheapOAir!
Have you ever found an amazing flight deal with CheapOAir? Tell me about it in the comments below!
Definitely using these tips when I book my next flight! Super useful blog, Thankyou!
Thanks, I’m glad it was helpful!