The Cheap Flight Guide

The Travel Gods blessed me with a round-trip ticket from LAX to Tokyo for $450!  This particular deal was courtesy of The Flight Deal. To catch a deal or to make sure you're getting the best price possible, follow these guidelines: 

1. Subscribe to Flight Deal Sites

My favorite flight deal sites are The Flight Deal , Scott’s Cheap Flights, and Airfare Watch Dog. On top of subscribing, follow them on Twitter to ensure you don't miss any deals. 

• When you click on the deal, follow the search directions in the description CAREFULLY and you shouldn’t have any problems finding the deal price. It’s easier to do the search on a computer.

2. What's the Catch?

The deals will likely be gone in 1 – 2 days (sometimes even hours) so you have to act quickly. It’s important to have a friend that’s down to buy those impromptu tickets with you or you have to be comfortable going solo!  The flight might be on an airline you’ve never flown before. Don’t let that deter you from purchasing. Do your research on the airline, make sure it’s reliable, and then make that purchase! 

3. Search in Incognito Mode

For regular searching I like to use Google Flights, Kiwi.com, Momondo, and Skyskanner.  However, certain websites may have access to your flight search history because of cookies. Therefore, the site can raise the price of the flight you've been eyeing. 

To enable incognito mode in Google Chrome or Safari on a PC: Control, Shift "N". For a Mac: Command, Shift "N" 

If you close out of the window while searching be sure to reset the incognito function each time you start a search. 

4. Don't Limit Your Departure Airport

Deals will be shown from all over the country. Don't limit yourself to just your local airport for departure. If you see a deal leaving from New York and you live in DC, buy a bus ticket and catch that deal!  I once drove to Chicago from Michigan to save $300 on a flight. If you have those extra couple of hours – do what you have to do to save that moneyyy.  

When I took educational trips abroad, most of them were paid through scholarships. Be sure to take advantage of those opportunities if you're still in school.   

Once you secure your flight – you want to make sure the rest of the trip isn’t going to kill your bank account.  Instead of staying in a hotel or Airbnb, why not try a hostel?  Look out for a post on hostel life soon!