By John Egan
Edited by Michelle TipswordHow to Save Money on Flights
By John EganEdited by Michelle Tipsword
Quick Answer
- You can save money on flights by booking early, staying flexible with travel dates and times, comparing airfare prices and considering alternate airports.
- Paying with airline credit cards or using credit card rewards and frequent flier points to book can reduce costs.
- Buying travel insurance can also help recover your costs if something goes wrong.
Even with rising flight prices, you can save money on flights by remaining flexible with your travel dates, comparing prices and using an airline credit card. Follow these seven tips to save on your next trip.
1. Plan Your Trip Early
Getting a jump on buying a plane ticket can pay off, although you may want to hold off until the ideal booking window opens.
Most airlines let you book a flight as early as about 330 days before you plan to travel. However, booking that early might not yield the most savings.
Based on global flight data, you can save the most money on a domestic U.S. economy flight by purchasing it about 15 to 30 days before you travel, according to Expedia. Prices tend to hit their peak if you book 180 days in advance or more.
For international economy flights, fares often dip to their lowest level eight to 14 days ahead of departure. As with domestic economy flights, you'll pay the most if you buy your ticket 180 days or more ahead.
While you may not want to risk waiting until two weeks ahead to purchase a flight—especially if you're traveling with family or taking an extensive trip that requires additional bookings—knowing your general travel dates well in advance allows you to keep an eye on fares to find the best deal possible.
Tip: To stay on top of fare increases and decreases, set up an alert on a travel website like AirfareWatchdog or KAYAK.
Learn more: Should I Use a Personal Loan for My Vacation?
2. Stay Flexible on Travel Dates and Times
Building flexibility on dates and times into your travel plans can enable you to score airfare savings.
Best Times of Year
There's not necessarily a best time of year for booking air travel. As a general rule, though, travel "shoulder seasons"—late spring or early fall in many cases—typically offer the lowest airfares.
Be sure not to overlook late fall and non-holiday periods during the winter: They often deliver the lowest prices on airfare.
If you're looking for a particular month to travel, consider August. The 2026 Air Hacks Report from Expedia indicates August is the most affordable month for travel, especially to certain international destinations. Meanwhile, January is the cheapest month for U.S. flights, and July, October and November are the months with the most airfare deals.
Best Days of the Week
The Expedia report also indicates Friday is the cheapest day of the week to book and fly, while Sunday is the most expensive day to fly. Tuesday turns out to be the cheapest day to take a U.S. flight.
Best Times of Day
The best times of day to fly inexpensively are usually early in the morning or late at night. Another time for cheap flights may be overnight on "red-eye" flights.
3. Compare Flight Prices
Just as it's wise to shop around for the best rates on car insurance, it's smart to do some comparison shopping when searching for low airfare.
Creating airfare alerts on travel websites can help you monitor airfare highs and lows. Many travel websites also let you search for cheap airfare by entering departure and arrival cities, plugging in flexible dates and choosing the cheapest month or preferred month for travel. Then, you narrow the search to certain departure days, return days and travel times.
Tip: Unless you are dead set on flying on a particular carrier, such as one where you hold a loyalty card, opening your flight search to a variety of options can help you find the least expensive flight.
4. Look at Flights From Alternate Airports
Flying in and out of a regional airport instead of a major hub might cut the cost of a plane ticket.
For instance, if you live in the Denver area, you might find cheaper flights from nearby Colorado Springs Airport compared with the larger Denver International Airport. Or, if you live in the Detroit area, you may be able to score a cheaper flight at the region's Flint Bishop International Airport compared with the larger Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Learn more: How Does Credit Card Lounge Access Work?
5. Pay With an Airline Credit Card
An airline credit card can put more money in your pocket, although normally not right away. Here are a few key benefits:
- Rewards: An airline credit card allows you to pile up frequent-flier rewards or points that can be put toward flights, hotel stays or other travel rewards.
- Perks: These cards can also supply perks like upgrades, priority boarding and free checked bags.
- In-flight discounts: An airline credit card may provide in-flight discounts on purchases such as food, drinks, Wi-Fi upgrades and entertainment.
Before committing to an airline credit card, be sure to weigh any annual fee against the potential savings on travel expenses. If you're not a frequent traveler or the fee exceeds the potential savings, that card may not be the right one for you.
Learn more: Are Airline Credit Cards Worth It?
Best travel cards of 2026
Compare cards from our partners that earn valuable points or miles and unlock travel perks on flights and hotel stays.
Offers from our partners
American Express Platinum Card®
Intro bonus:As High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
Ongoing APR:See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards:1x - 5x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$895
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card
Intro APR:0% for 15 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Citi Strata Premier® Card
Intro bonus:60,000 Points
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards:1x - 10x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$95
American Express® Gold Card
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Ongoing APR:See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards:1x - 5x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$325
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$99, waived for first 12 months
Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:1x - 6x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$350
Credit One Bank ® Wander® American Express® Card with Dining, Gas & Travel Rewards
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$95
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Intro bonus:80,000 Points
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:3x - 7x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Intro bonus:100,000 Points
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:2x - 6x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$650
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Intro bonus:As High As 100,000 Bonus Miles. Find Out Your Offer.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 3x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$650
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Intro bonus:As High As 80,000 Bonus Miles. Find Out Your Offer.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Intro bonus:As High As 90,000 Bonus Miles. Find Out Your Offer.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 3x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$350
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Intro bonus:130,000 Points
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:3x - 12x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$150
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Intro bonus:10,000 Miles
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card
Intro bonus:85,000 Points
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:2x - 6x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$250
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Intro bonus:150,000 Points
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:3x - 14x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$550
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Intro bonus:25,000 Points
Intro APR:0% Intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 15 billing cycles
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 27.49% Variable
Rewards:1.5x - 3x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
See all our best travel credit cards for 2026.
6. Join Frequent-Flier Programs
Signing up for an airline's frequent-flier program, which usually costs nothing, can offer travel benefits for a specific airline or a group of airlines. One of the primary benefits: Compiling enough miles or points lets you book free tickets. Other potential benefits include food and beverage perks, free upgrades from economy class to a higher class, priority check-in and boarding, and mileage credits that can be put toward purchases.
Learn more: Ways to Use Your Airline Miles (Other Than Flights)
7. Consider Travel Insurance
If you must cancel a flight you've booked, travel insurance can help recover travel costs. Travel insurance primarily covers prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs when you cancel for a reason covered by the policy. Covered reasons generally include serious illness or injury, a family medical emergency, a death in the family, a job loss or a long travel delay.
You also may be able to get cancel for any reason coverage, which can help you recoup even more travel costs.
Keep in mind that some travel credit cards may provide travel insurance at no extra cost, but it generally covers only those travel expenses charged to the card.
Learn more: Should You Buy Travel Insurance?
The Bottom Line
Saving money on flights takes time, requires homework and demands patience. But putting in the hard work can put some hard cash back into your travel budget. Whether it's by mapping out your travel plans early or using an airline credit, you can cut airfare costs—hopefully without sacrificing any travel comforts.
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About the author
John Egan
John Egan is a freelance writer, editor and content marketing strategist in Austin, Texas. His work has been published by outlets such as CreditCards.com, Bankrate, Credit Karma, LendingTree, PolicyGenius, HuffPost, National Real Estate Investor and Urban Land.
Read more from John