How to Get Cheaper Plane Tickets: 12 Easy Tips and Tricks

Looking to save money on your next trip? You don’t have to stay in dodgy hotels, go hungry, or skimp on cool souvenirs.

Booking flights is the easiest part of planning a holiday, but you’re likely spending more money than necessary on your ticket. Fortunately, the travel industry has a few loopholes you can take advantage of to save dozens, even hundreds of dollars.

This guide will show you how to get cheap flights without compromising quality or safety. Download CyberGhost VPN if you haven’t already — you’ll need it for a few of these tricks — and get ready to save!

How to Use a VPN For Cheaper Flights in 3 Easy Steps

  1. Sign up for CyberGhost VPN. It’s fast and easy.
  2. Select a server in the country you’re flying into or out of.
  3. Browse airline websites to search for cheap plane tickets!

1) Hide Your Location

Understand how airlines operate and you’ll know how to get cheap flights. Demand, competition, and purchasing power affect ticket prices, but so does your location.

Blame your IP address. As you browse flights, your device exposes your location — and airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs) sometimes quote you accordingly.

VPNs redirect your activity through external servers, so your IP address gets replaced with a remote one. Then, websites optimize content based on the VPN’s server location, not where you are.

When you launch CyberGhost VPN, cheaper flights abound. Try booking your flight in a different currency — but make sure your credit card won’t charge you foreign transaction fees!

2) Book at the Right Time

Are you waiting for a Tuesday in September to book the cheapest flight possible? It might be pointless.

Yes, data shows on average flights are cheaper on Sundays (not Tuesdays) and in the Fall — but it’s not guaranteed. Flights fluctuate regardless of when they take off. Flying may generally be cheaper at certain times, but that doesn’t mean it will be cheaper for you.

Still, timing matters. The more people want to be on a flight, the more airlines will charge. Secure your seat as early as possible to ensure the best prices.

Bonus Tip: If sunbathing isn’t high on your priority list, you can save on airfare if you fly off-season — regardless of when you book. You might get extra leg room too since it’s unlikely the flight will fill up. Don’t forget, using a VPN to get cheaper flights will save you even more money!

3) Avoid Price Discrimination

Airline pricing algorithms are complex, but airlines often use this as an excuse for some less-than-ethical practices. If you check the price of a flight on your mobile and then on your laptop and get a different figure, you may wonder if the airline is tracking your every move.

Airlines use dynamic pricing to adjust ticket prices based on multiple factors. This includes demand, but also may include your perceived ability—and willingness—to pay. If you have a track record of buying last-minute flights at high prices, the airline may use that information to jack up the price of the tickets they offer you.

The good news is, you can avoid this price discrimination if you use a VPN.

CyberGhost VPN uses military-grade encryption and a network of global servers to prevent third parties from tracking your online activity. An airline won’t even know if you’re accessing its website from the same device. This means they can’t collate information to use for dynamic profiling.

Searching for flights incognito won’t affect pricing. Incognito mode hides your browsing activity on your device, but it won’t mask or change your IP address. Advertisers, search engines, your ISP, and — in this case — airlines can still see and track your data. CyberGhost VPN uses world-class encryption to hide your activity and keep your data private.

4) Scout Before You Book

Since airlines show you what they think you’ll be most willing to buy, you could save a ton of money by digging a little deeper. Consider the following to get lower prices:

    • 🗓️ Flexible dates: Playing around with your travel dates is a surefire way to save a few bucks. If you can postpone — or fly earlier — do!
    • 🌍 Layovers: Is flying direct to Paris on AirFrance really worth the hundreds of extra dollars you’ll pay for the convenience? Sure, you’ll take longer to get where you’re going, but layovers are almost always the most affordable option.
    • ⌚ Departure time: No one wants to fly at 4 am, and airlines know this. Generally speaking, the more inconvenient your departure time, the cheaper the flight will be.
    • ✈️ Airlines: Budget airlines get a bad rap, but you’ll arrive at your destination just the same without burning a hole in your bank account.
    • 🌆 Airports: The smaller airport in your town may be easier to get to, but flying from it probably costs more than hub airports. Changing where you depart could lower the price of your flight. Give it a try!

5) Book Each Leg Separately

Popular flight routes are often the cheapest. If you don’t live close to a major city, booking a “positioning flight” to a popular flight route may be cheaper than flying direct to your destination.

It works like this:

  1. Book a ticket from your nearest airport to a major city
  2. Book a separate flight between that city and your destination
  3. Repeat this process in reverse for the return journey

In some cases, you may get better prices if you book a positioning flight to a hub airport in another country. Use CyberGhost VPN to check flight prices in that country to see if you can get cheaper tickets in the local currency.

6) Set Alerts for Good Deals

Set up notifications on Google Flights or OTAs like Hopper and Kayak, and you’ll never miss a discount! Lowered fares won’t last forever, so it’s best to enable alerts when you’re ready to book.

Depending on the OTA, you might be able to freeze prices for 24 hours, but check their terms and conditions. You may have to pay a non-refundable deposit or sign up for premium access to qualify for price holds.

We give you a little more leeway. Try us out for free on desktop, Android, and iOS — no credit card necessary! When you’re ready to commit, you’ll get a 45-day money-back guarantee on all CyberGhost VPN plans.

Flying to or from the US? Under US law, all airlines must offer a full refund or free ticket change if requested within 24 hours of booking. This only applies to direct bookings (not OTAs) made at least 7 days before your departure.

7) Beware of Hidden Fees

The cheaper your ticket, the higher the chance of sneaky fees. Airlines often advertise extremely low airfares, then charge you extra for luggage, meals, or ticket processing to compensate.

Some sneak fees are so ridiculous, booking with more expensive airlines might work out cheaper. Understand the difference between extras and add-ons to avoid this.

Generally speaking, add-ons are optional – like bringing more checked luggage, or priority boarding. Extras are the bare minimum that airlines shouldn’t charge you for in the first place, like carry-on luggage or online check-ins. Read the fine print to understand what you’re paying for.

8) Get a Credit Card with Mileage Rewards

What if your daily latte habit could pay for your next vacation? Some credit cards offer airline miles as a reward. You can earn double or triple the points you get from your weekly grocery shop if you spend money in specific categories like dining or travel.

Over time, these points add up! To avoid paying interest charges, make sure you pay off your credit card balance in full every month.

Your credit card issuer may offer cool bonuses like complimentary travel insurance, discounted accommodation, or access to VIP airport lounges too!

Google Flights homepage.

9) Book Direct with the Airline

Online travel agents often claim they can get you the best deal on flights. Most of the time… that’s not the case. For simple routes, it’s usually cheaper to book directly with the airline.

Retail travel agencies sometimes have special discounts on travel packages and flights, and some even implement price beats — but beware. More often than not, travel agents add commission and service fees to your booking, meaning you pay extra for the convenience.

10) Take Advantage of Frequent-Flier Programs

Start paying for future travel with your next flight ticket! Airline loyalty programs, also known as frequent-flier programs, reward you with “miles” for each flight you take on that airline. These “miles” are symbolic—they don’t equate to the miles you actually fly.

It’s free to join frequent-flier programs, so they’re a great idea for people who regularly travel on the same airline. You can’t transfer points between different airlines, but you may be able to use points from one airline to book a ticket on another in the same alliance.

Retail travel agencies sometimes have special discounts on travel packages and flights, and some even implement price beats — but beware. More often than not, travel agents add commission and service fees to your booking, meaning you pay extra for the convenience.

11) Book Open Jaw Flights

If you’re touring a country, retracing your steps for your round trip isn’t always ideal. On the other hand, booking two one-way tickets almost always cost more, so what do you do?

Get the best of both worlds! An open jaw ticket means your flights arrive in and return from different cities. For example, you could book a trip from Berlin to LA, and fly back to Berlin from New York City.

Open jaw flights save you the hassle (and cost) of returning to your arrival airport and, depending on the route, could lower the price of your booking.

CyberGhost VPN has your back no matter where in the world you are. Connect to our any of our 116 server locations across 91 countries to stay protected and enjoy unrestricted content any time, anywhere.

12) How to Get Cheap Flights the Hidden City Way

This is an expert-level money-saving trick, so proceed at your own risk. If a cheaper flight connects in the city you want to travel to — book it, and skip the second leg.

There are some serious considerations here, though.

    • ⚠️ If you book a hidden city flight, you can’t check luggage – it will go to the flight’s final destination without you.
    • ⚠️ If you’re marked as a no-show, the remainder of your itinerary will be canceled. Hidden city tickets are best used for one-way journeys. Don’t get stranded!
    • ⚠️If your hidden city destination is in a different country than your ticket destination, you need to make sure your visa lets you visit this country or you’ll be stranded at the airport.

This hack is legal, but airlines can still take action if they’re able to prove you’ve broken their terms of service. Don’t exploit this regularly, and don’t let the airline know your intentions.

CyberGhost VPN adheres to a strict No-Logs Policy. We’ll never monitor, record, or share your data with anyone — not even the authorities (or any airlines). Your secrets are safe with us!

Why You Need a VPN When You Travel

Now that you know how to get cheap flights, it’s only a matter of time before you’re jet-setting. A VPN will keep you safe and connected on any network, in any country, so don’t forget to install CyberGhost VPN before you take off. Beyond saving you money on flights, here’s what we’ll do for you.

✈️ Get the World’s Best Prices

Traveling isn’t exactly a budget-friendly hobby, and knowing how to get cheap flights is the tip of the iceberg. Hotels, rental cars, and other costs add up quickly, but a VPN will help you economize your trip. Like airfare, the best deals may be available in the country you’re traveling to. Luckily, VPNs are a simple way to avoid the “tourist tax”!

To check local prices, connect to a CyberGhost server in your destination country. CyberGhost VPN has servers in 90+ countries, so it’s easy to find one wherever you’re traveling to. Then, start surfing for deals like a local! The more you save, the more you can spend on creating unforgettable memories.

✈️ Stay Safe on Public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi is a godsend when you’re away from home, but it could cost you your privacy. Anyone can connect to an open network, so when you link with one, you run the risk of exposing your personal data to cybercriminals.

CyberGhost VPN can help!

VPNs route your traffic through private and secure tunnels, so no one can see what you’re doing online or trace your activity back to you. CyberGhost VPN uses state-of-the-art 256-bit AES encryption to protect your privacy on all networks.

Our automatic Kill Switch shuts off your internet if your VPN connection drops, so your devices won’t accidentally leak your data. You can even set CyberGhost VPN to launch automatically when your device connects to public Wi-Fi.

If you’d like to know more about our features — or need expert advice on the best settings for you — our 24/7 customer support team is just a few clicks away.

✈️ Stay Connected to Home

Some content and services are only available in your home country, and this could be problematic. You might get locked out of your online bank account, lose access to your gaming servers, or miss out on your favorite local channels.

CyberGhost VPN makes it easy to stay in touch with home while you’re abroad. Simply connect to a server in your home country, and it’ll be as though you never left!

We have dedicated streaming servers for Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, and other major platforms, so go ahead and watch your favorite shows while lazing around on the beach.

Worried about connection quality? Don’t! We’ve got the fastest VPN protocols in the world. We won’t slow your internet, and you’ll have the smoothest streaming experience on all your devices.

✈️ Bypass Local Censorship

Traveling to a country that’s renowned for internet censorship? Download CyberGhost VPN before your trip to access websites from your home country when abroad.

Stay in touch with friends and family via messaging services and social media, bypass censorship to keep up with international news, and watch your favorite shows and movies while avoiding government surveillance.

We’re headquartered in Romania, outside of any data-sharing alliances. Our strict No-Logs policy means we don’t keep any records on you, period.

Get the Best Deals with CyberGhost VPN

Flight prices skyrocketed after the pandemic’s restrictions were lifted, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on your travels. These 12 simple tips on how to get cheaper flights are bound to put extra pennies in your piggy bank!

Install CyberGhost VPN to take your savings even further. Curate the best online prices, enjoy unrestricted content, and protect your data — at home or abroad. Get our full set of first-class features on all plans with our 45-day money-back guarantee.

Bon voyage!

FAQ

How can I get the cheapest plane tickets?

Flight prices depend on a number of factors, but they’re largely influenced by dynamic pricing. Installing a VPN is the only way to prevent forced increases based on your interest or location.
CyberGhost VPN hides your browsing activity with military-grade 256-bit AES encryption and lets you change your virtual location to a cheaper region.

Is it cheaper to buy plane tickets last minute?

No. Airlines tend to charge more for last-minute seats because customers are likely to pay more without question. Aside from this, there’s a good chance the only seats left will be business class.
The earlier you book, the cheaper your flight will be. Use CyberGhost VPN to find the best deals online. Connect to any of our servers to search for flight prices around the world and secure the cheapest fares possible.

Do flight prices go down on Tuesdays?

No. On average, flights cost less on Sundays and off-peak, but this doesn’t guarantee lower fares. Airlines don’t drop their prices on certain days or at specific times. When demand is low and airlines want to fill their planes, they charge less.
Don’t let airlines think you need to fly on a specific day. If you search for the same flight often, dynamic pricing will kick in and fares will increase.
CyberGhost VPN hides your IP address and activity, so airlines can’t inflate their prices based on your searches.

Is it cheaper to buy one way or round trip?

It depends on the route and airline, but more often than not, one-way tickets cost more than return bookings. Some believe airlines want to discourage flyers from using multiple carriers, others say it’s a matter of demand.
Want to save money every time you shop? CyberGhost VPN will help you. Get the lowest prices airlines, hotels and online stores can offer — without price discrimination. Try us out with a 45-day money-back guarantee.

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