Want to get a cheap flight for your next vacation? Keep reading.
Los Angeles travel expert Geoffrey Fuller has revealed his top tips for getting the cheapest plane tickets – and all of the recommended travel services are free.
Before revealing its specialized apps and websites, it says that “the first step is to always start with Google Flights, which is the gold standard for searching for most airlines and routes.”
To explain his reasoning, he writes about the marriage of his wife, Emily Schuman. substack ‘Forward: from a friend’: ‘With the exception of a few airlines, you’ll find the best options for both domestic and international flights.’
Geoffrey then points out that timing can have a big impact on the types of deals available.
Los Angeles-based travel expert Geoffrey Fuller has revealed his top tips for scoring the cheapest airline tickets – and all of his recommended travel services are free.
If you’re booking an award flight, he says it’s best to book 11 to two months in advance of your trip.
That’s because both windows “typically have the best award availability and redemption rates.”
However, he adds that “since airlines often run seasonal promotions, using search tools to cover all dates is crucial.”
Continuing with his cheat sheet for cheap flights, he lists his favorite “freemium” travel services, ranked from “best” to “fair.”
At the top of their list is a site called Seats.aero that “helps frequent flyers and travel enthusiasts find the best business and first class seats using their airline miles/points.”
The main draw of this free site, says Geoffrey, is the fact that it offers “very fast (i.e. real-time) results from many airline and award programs allowing you to find reliable availability and search across multiple regions.”
The second site on its list is PointsYeah, which it describes as “a versatile and free reward travel search tool that quickly gained popularity among points and miles enthusiasts.”
In addition to ‘free, real-time’ flight award searches, this website also offers hotel award availability.
The second site on its list is PointsYeah, which it describes as “a versatile and free reward travel search tool that quickly gained popularity among points and miles enthusiasts.”
The third favorite tool for globetrotters to find deals is the Points Path browser extension.
Detailing how this works, he writes: ‘The extension integrates with popular travel booking sites, providing users with real-time information on points availability and redemption options.
‘If you’re always wondering whether you should use points or pay for a ticket, this extension makes it incredibly clear and simple.’
The fourth site Geoffrey endorses is Thrifty Traveler, which he says also comes in newsletter format.
He says the three biggest advantages of this company are its “reliability,” its daily email delivery “based on your set preferences,” and “well-researched award travel deals that a normal search might miss.”
The penultimate site on the list is Roame.travel, which Geoffrey says is “designed to help people discover unique travel experiences and destinations.”
The third favorite bargain-hunting tool among globetrotters is the Points Path browser extension.
In addition to a “clean interface” and expertly curated tips, he likes the way it offers a “nice selection of award redemptions based on departure city and travel dates.”
To round things off, Geoffrey says Point.me is worth checking out if you’re looking for a flight deal.
The main attraction is that you can “centralize all your reward points, both from airlines and credit cards, in one place.”
You can also ‘track almost all airlines and import data from major credit cards, including some smaller ones like Brex and Bilt.’
Endorsing Geoffrey’s prowess as a cheap flight finder, his wife Emily writes in the introduction: ‘G and I have been together for 17 years, and he has planned, almost perfectly, every trip.
‘Not only does it search for all the must-see places to visit and make reservations, but it also finds the best travel deals.
‘He is an obsessive researcher and uses specific newsletters, websites and browser extensions.’