Getting there

Finding a flight worth booking

How to search properly, when the cheap fare is a false economy, and where to actually buy.

Search and purchase are two different steps

A flight search engine does not sell you anything. It finds which airline flies your route on which day for how much, and then hands you to somebody who does sell it — the airline itself, or an agency.

Keeping those two steps separate in your head is most of the skill. Search widely, then buy carefully: the search is where you save money, and the purchase is where you decide who has to help you if the flight is cancelled.

How to search

  1. Start with flexible dates

    A month view will often show a two-hundred-pound spread across a single week. Choose the date before you choose the airline.

  2. Find the airline and the routing

    Note who actually flies it and whether the cheap option involves a connection you would not enjoy at seven in the morning.

  3. Check the airline's own price

    Open the airline directly and compare. If it is within a few pounds, buy there — it makes changes and cancellations dramatically easier.

  4. Read what the fare excludes

    On budget carriers the headline price is a seat and nothing else. Add the bag you will definitely bring before you compare anything.

When to buy from an agency instead of the airline

The search engine is nearly always the right place to look. It is not always the right place to pay.

Worth it when

  • The itinerary combines two airlines that do not sell a joint ticket.
  • The saving is genuinely large — well beyond the price of the flexibility you are giving up.
  • It is an obscure route where the agency simply has inventory the airline site will not show you.

Skip it when

  • The airline's own price is within a few pounds. Buy direct; it is worth far more than the difference the first time something changes.
  • There is any chance you will need to move the date. Agency change fees stack on top of the airline's own.
  • The connection is self-transfer. If the first leg is late, nobody is obliged to rebook you unless you paid for that protection.

Who to book with

Where to search

Search on all three if the route is awkward — they genuinely return different results.

  • Best for Working out which airline and which date is cheapest, before you book anywhere

    The best first stop rather than the best place to buy. Its whole-month and cheapest-destination views are the fastest way to find out what your trip actually costs before you commit to dates.

    Watch out Some results send you to agencies with poor support. If the airline's own price is within a few pounds, book direct.

    Visit Skyscanner

  • Best for Flexible dates, and the clearest price calendar of any search tool

    Fastest and cleanest of the search tools, with genuinely useful price tracking. Worth opening even when you already intend to book somewhere else — it is the quickest way to establish what the route should cost.

    Watch out It does not list every budget carrier, so check the low-cost airlines on your route directly as well.

    Visit Google Flights

  • Best for Awkward multi-city routes and open-ended "anywhere" searches

    Finds combinations no airline sells as a single ticket, which is occasionally dramatically cheaper. Read carefully what is and is not protected before booking one.

    Watch out Self-transfer itineraries stitch together separate tickets. A delayed first leg is only covered if you buy their guarantee.

    Visit Kiwi.com

Before you ask

Common questions

Is there a best day of the week to book?

Not reliably, despite how often it is repeated. Route, season and how full the plane already is matter enormously more than the day you happen to be searching.

Do prices go up because I searched before?

There is no good evidence for this. Fares move constantly because seats sell and airlines reprice; the same search an hour later legitimately returns a different number.

Are self-transfer tickets worth the risk?

Occasionally, on long routes with a big saving and a generous gap between legs. Never with hand luggage only, a tight connection, and something important at the other end.

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