How to find the cheapest flights so you can save money while traveling the world!

Flying around the world does not have to be expensive.

For all those people who have the urge to travel, but are stuck with the notion that traveling is too expensive, I am here to share some magical advice for you.

Budget travel is possible, and it is very easy once you get the basics down.

Often, airfare is the biggest expense while traveling. Especially if you are flying to the other side of the world.

I know lots of people in the USA who don’t even consider traveling abroad because they think flights are too expensive.

With this article, I will describe exactly how to find the cheapest flights abroad.

I have been using these tips for years now and am able to consistently find cheap flights to any destination around the world.

Before you travel anywhere, I also recommend looking into visas and travel insurance.

Check out my Budget Traveler’s Guide To Travel Insurance

Visit iVisa.com to check visa requirements for any country

How To Find The Cheapest Flights Tip #1

Use Skyscanner to find the cheapest flights

Skyscanner is my favorite website for finding cheap flights abroad.

It is very straightforward and easy to use, and it works well from a computer, smartphone or tablet.

Skyscanner has certain features that make finding cheap flights very simple. I’ll explain these features in more detail later on.

Other websites for finding the cheapest flights:

Google Flights is another website that works for finding cheap flights. It works pretty much the same as Skyscanner and I often check flight prices on both websites.

Secret Flying offers random cheap deals and error fares. So if an airline makes a mistake when pricing their flights, you can sometimes still purchase that insanely cheap flight on Secret Flying.

This website isn’t reliable because it only has cheap deals for random places at random times. But it is worth checking just in case there is a deal for the flight you want.

But in all my years of traveling, I ALWAYS have had success with Skyscanner. I 100% recommend this website for finding the cheapest flights.

How To Find The Cheapest Flights Tip #2

Learn how to search for the cheapest flight.

Once you’ve logged into Skyscanner, here is exactly how you find the cheapest flights (this process is basically the same on Google Flights as well).

Skyscanner allows you to see every possible destination from your departure airport so you can pick the absolute cheapest flight.

You can also see flight prices for every day for the whole month, so you can pick the cheapest day to fly.

I will demonstrate how these features work now.

1. Select “Everywhere” as your destination if you’re undecided on where to go

In the Skyscanner search bar, select your departure airport. For this article I’ll be using Boston as my departure airport.

When selecting where you are flying to, you can select “Everywhere”.

If you select “Everywhere”, the search results will list everywhere you can possibly fly to, starting from the cheapest destination.

2. Select your chosen month for your flight dates.

Once you have selected “Everywhere” as your destination, you have to select flight dates.

If you have specific days that you have to fly, of course you can pick those dates. But if you have a bit of flexibility, you can keep the dates open-ended to see flight prices for every single day.

Select “Flexible Dates” instead of “Specific Dates” and you can choose an entire month.

You can select an entire month for your return flight as well.

3. Admire those results!

The results for a search like this can be fascinating.

The following photos show the cheapest flights from Boston to Everywhere, for a whole month (in this case April 2025).

You can fly around the USA for only $24, and you can leave the country for $50.

You can visit South America, Central America, the Caribbean, or Canada for LESS THAN $130.

This feature of searching for the cheapest destination is great for those who crave a vacation but don’t have a specific time frame or place to go.

If you are truly looking to save money, you can plan your vacation around the cheapest flights.

The list of cheap flights from Boston to Everywhere continues beyond the first page of results.

Fly to Europe for less than $250!

In the next photo, you’ll find that you can fly to Europe for as cheap as $191. A flight to Spain, the Netherlands, or Portugal can be the same price as an expensive night out in Boston.

So for one weekend, skip out on Ubers, drinks, and club cover charges and you’ll have saved enough money to fly to Europe. THAT IS AMAZING!

4. Pick the cheapest day to fly.

Once you decide on a destination and you’ve searched for the month’s prices, you can pick the cheapest days to fly.

For example, say I wanted to travel to Ecuador. In the above search results, I would select Ecuador and then choose the city.

If I click on Quito, Skyscanner shows the cheapest days to fly to Quito.

So I’ll select April 2nd, 2025, as that is one of the cheapest days.

5. Check the actual flight details.

Once you select the day you want to fly, Skyscanner will show you the actual flight options for that day, including the airlines, the flight times, and the stopover times.

When searching for the cheapest flights abroad, just accept that you will usually have a stopover. Direct flights are often more expensive, so if you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of time for a cheaper flight, do it.

Once I select the day for my flight to Quito, the next page shows the actual flight details.

You can also add filters or see Skyscanner’s different options for the Best, Fastest, or Cheapest option.

Again, the cheapest option often has stopovers or weird departure/arrival times. So you can decide how much you want to spend for comfort.

I’ve taken so many obnoxious early morning flights with lots of stopovers because they were cheap. While it’s not comfortable at the time, I’ve saved lots of money over the years by doing this!

And honestly, do this while you’re young because the older you get the less you’ll want to wake up at the crack of dawn for a cheap flight.

How To Find The Cheapest Flights Tip #3

Double-check your flight on multiple sites.

After finding a cheap flight on Skyscanner, when you go to buy the flight you’ll often be redirected to a booking agent.

I recommend seeing which airline the flight uses, and checking on the airline website directly to compare the prices.

I also usually search for the same flight on multiple websites, like Skyscanner, Google Flights, and Capital One Travel (because I have a Capital One Credit Card).

Sometimes I’ve booked a flight through a random booking agent that I’ve never heard of because they had the best deal. And sometimes the cheapest flight is on the direct airline website. It’s always worth checking!

Even if you save a few dollars by booking directly with the airline, this is an important habit to have if you want to consistently find the cheapest flights abroad.

How To Find The Cheapest Flights Tip #4

Become familiar with budget airlines.

Budget airlines are a gift from the gods when it comes to traveling cheaply.

Certain airlines are notorious for offering affordable flights, and it is worth familiarizing yourself with those airlines.

For example, Europe is full of budget airlines like RyanAir, WizzAir, and EasyJet.

They all offer super cheap flights around Europe. The cheapest flight I’ve ever purchased in my life was from London to Romania for $6 with RyanAir. Not joking!!

In Australia, I use Jetstar all the time. In the USA, I’ll fly Spirit.

People hate on these airlines because they’re not luxurious and the flights are quite literally bare-bones.

But personally, I don’t care if my flight is uncomfortable. It’s the destination that I care about!

Avoid the extra charges on budget airlines.

Budget airlines have to make their money somehow, so they often charge extra for baggage, food and drinks on board, selecting your seat, and any other little thing.

Read airline policies carefully to make sure you don’t get charged extra for anything. All the extra fees are easily avoidable if you pay attention and come prepared.

For example, if you don’t print your boarding pass at home before a flight, RyanAir charges $30 to print your boarding pass at the airport. This is crazy, but it is also easy to just make sure you print your boarding pass at home.

Similarly, most budget airlines charge for food, water, or in-flight entertainment. So just bring your own! It’s not that hard to avoid the hidden fees if you pay attention.

Study Baggage Policies Carefully.

Nowadays, many airlines charge extra for baggage. This used to only happen on the cheap budget airlines, but now it happens EVERYWHERE.

So consider how much baggage you’ll have and plan ahead to avoid higher fees at the airport.

I’ll use Spirit Airlines as an example, because they have a pretty strict baggage policy.

A few years ago I visited Guatemala because I found a super cheap flight from Boston with Spirit.

Below is the chart for baggage costs with Spirit Airlines for a flight from Boston to Guatemala.

The flight initially cost only $127, which is crazy cheap.

But Spirit only allows you to bring one personal item. I knew I would need more than that, since I was staying for one month.

So the cheapest way to bring a bag is by checking a bag and paying for it during booking. This only cost $35, whereas a carry on bag cost $40.

You can also see how the bag prices increase the longer you wait. Always research your airline’s baggage policy beforehand to see how much you’ll be paying for extra bags.

The best way to save money while flying budget airlines: PACK LESS!

More often than not, people over-pack for trips.

Having less stuff while you travel not only saves you money, it is way more convenient.

Learning to pack lightly can save you HUNDREDS of dollars in the long run if you consistently fly cheap, budget airlines.

How To Find The Cheapest Flights Tip #5

Get creative with your long-haul flights

This point is a bit niche, and it probably won’t apply to lots of travelers.

But because I’ve moved to Australia, I’m constantly buying long haul flights from Sydney to Boston. This means I’ve gotten good at making this trip as affordable as possible.

Flights from Sydney to Boston, or vice versa, are usually AT LEAST $1,000 USD one way. The flight is also usually a minimum of 20 hours of flying, not including stopver time. And you have to make at least one stopover.

However, you can sometimes avoid expensive flights if you get creative with your stop overs!

For example, flights from Sydney to Boston often stop over in Fiji, Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Dallas. Sometimes 2 stopovers are common as well.

So I’ve realized that I can make the journey cheaper if I just book a flight from Sydney to LAX. Then I book a separate, domestic flight from LAX to Boston.

You can fly from Sydney to LAX for as cheap as $500, and a domestic flight from LAX to Boston can be as cheap as $200.

So by booking my flights this way, I can get from Sydney to Boston for $700 instead of $1,000.

If you are going to book a journey like this, just make sure you leave ample time in between your flights in case of a delay. I usually leave 3 hours at the absolute minimum between flights. And I always get travel insurance just in case I still miss a connection.

So far I’ve never had any issues booking flights this way (knock on wood). But I highly recommend playing around with your flight searches like this if you need to fly long-haul.

How To Find The Cheapest Flights Tip #6

Travel During Off Season

Though Skyscanner can help you find cheap flights abroad all year round, every country has a peak season and an off season. It is usually cheapest to fly during the off season.

Peak season is when the country is the most popular for travelers. This usually revolves around the weather and holiday seasons.

I almost always plan trips in the off season, which means fewer crowds and cheaper prices for tourist attractions as well.

Sometimes off season means poor weather, but you can always make the most of your trips regardless!

I’ve visited places like Thailand, Costa Rica, and Guatemala in the middle of rainy season. Every experience has still been magical, even with a bit of humidity and stormy days. It’s all about your attitude, and you can be positive and have fun anywhere no matter the weather.

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Those are all my most important tips for finding the cheapest flights abroad!

Here are some other budget travel tips that will help you travel cheaper, before or after you catch a flight.

• Find the best places to park at the airport with Parkfellows.
• Have a credit card with no foreign transaction fees to use at the airport and while traveling.
• Find the most affordable transport once you arrive using Bookaway or Rome2Rio.
• Get travel insurance to protect you from any unfortunate travel incidents! Squaremouth Insurance is my go-to company.
• Use luggage locks to keep your belongings secure.
• Get cheap and reliable data abroad with an eSIM such as Saily.

I hope this article was helpful! For anyone interested in reading even more budget travel tips you can check out these articles:

50 Budget Travel Tips

How To Afford Traveling The World In Your 20’s

A Guide To Work Exchange: The Cheapest Way To Travel

How To Save Money For Travel

A Budget Traveler’s Guide To Travel Insurance

15 Must-Have Travel Essentials