Cheap flights are rarely about luck or a secret booking day. They come from searching flexibly, comparing airports and ticket types, watching prices with alerts and pricing the whole journey, bags included. Here are five methods that work on almost any route, plus the passenger rules that protect you once you have booked.

Five ways to find a cheap flight – graphic for the Nomadic Matt video

1. Search flexible dates and track prices

Moving a trip by a day or two can change the fare noticeably, especially around weekends and holidays. Start with a flexible search across a whole week or month, then narrow down.

Google Flights lets you track prices for a route on your chosen dates or, if you are flexible, for "Any dates". With the flexible option, you get an email when the lowest price for the route drops significantly over the month. Its price insights emails also warn you when fares on a tracked route are likely to rise, or when a current fare is about to expire and the replacement is likely to cost more, with an estimate of how much and how confident Google is.

2. Compare nearby airports and routings

Many cities have more than one airport, and each may be served by different airlines and fares. A one-stop routing through a hub can also undercut a direct flight. Before you grab the lower fare, add the cost and time of reaching a distant airport, and check whether an early departure or late arrival forces a taxi or an extra hotel night.

A straightforward arrival is worth paying a little more for on your first independent trip. Read more in Solo Travel: Nine Practical Steps and the Personal Ideas Behind Them.

3. Try one-way and open-jaw tickets

A return ticket is not always the cheapest option. Price two one-way tickets, sometimes on different airlines, against the round trip. An open-jaw ticket, where you fly into one city and home from another, can cost about the same as a simple return while saving you the time and money of backtracking. It suits trips such as arriving in Munich and leaving from Vienna, or flying into Lima and out of Buenos Aires.

Separate tickets are not booked as one journey, so a late first flight can cost you the second. Leave generous connection times on self-transfers.

4. Sign up for fare alerts and airline newsletters

Airline newsletters often carry sales and discount vouchers, and fare-alert services flag sudden drops on routes you follow. Set alerts for a short list of realistic routes and dates, and decide in advance what price you would happily pay. When an alert hits that number, book. Frequent-flyer programmes and travel credit cards can add further savings if you fly regularly.

5. Price the whole trip and know your rights

Compare fares on equal terms. Add checked bags, seat selection and any carry-on fees before deciding which ticket is cheaper, and read the bag size and weight limits for your exact fare. Our guide Carry-On Only Travel: How to Pack Light for Weeks on the Road shows how to avoid bag fees altogether.

Know the rules that apply after you book:

  • United States, 24-hour rule: for tickets bought directly from an airline at least seven days before departure, the airline must either let you cancel within 24 hours for a full refund or hold the fare for 24 hours without payment. It does not cover tickets bought through travel agents or online agencies.
  • United States, refunds: if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight, for example arriving three or more hours late on a domestic trip or six or more hours on an international one, and you decline the alternatives, you are entitled to a refund, within seven business days for credit-card purchases.
  • Europe, EU261: on flights departing the EU, or arriving in the EU on an EU-based airline, passengers can claim €250, €400 or €600 depending on distance when a flight is cancelled at short notice or arrives three or more hours late, unless the cause was an extraordinary circumstance such as a natural disaster or an air traffic control strike.

The fare that wins is the one that still looks cheap after bags, transfers and connection risks are counted. Once it does, book it and turn your attention to the trip itself.

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