Essential Guide to Flight Booking Like a Pro

Updated: January 2026

12 Handy tips to use when searching for and booking a flight

Forget the FOMO-inducing flight deals that vanish faster than a free croissant sample. We’ve all seen them: unbelievably low prices tempting you to book a trip before your time off is approved. But hold on to your passport, travel adventurer! This essential guide to flight booking like a pro empowers you to conquer the flight booking game. Go forth and navigate your airfare comparisons like a pro. 

This guide is your weapon against misleading prices and uncomfortable flights. We’ll equip you with the knowledge to research effectively, compare wisely, and book the flight that perfectly matches your needs. And budget. No more sacrificing comfort for a few bucks! Get ready to embrace informed booking, and experience travel the way it’s meant to be: stress-free and awesome.

Many of us have restrictions that will limit what flights we can take. If you’ve ever heard someone say they found a really cheap flight to a popular destination, you can bet it came at a cost. Long fights, multiple stops, limited luggage allowance, no legroom, and no cancellations or changes can be the cost of a cheap flight. The purpose of this guide is to help you navigate searching and comparing. In some cases, this may help you get a better deal on the flight you want to take.

Hop To A Section

1. Setting up your search
2. Searching Tools
3. Out-of-the-box flight patterns
4. Seat & Fair options
5. Compare pricing
6. Airline status
7. Credit card perks
8. Book directly with the airline
9. Travel Insurance
10. Price reductions after you book
11. Can ChatGPT save you money?
12. Apps to simplify your customs experience

1. Setting Up Your Search

It’s important to recognize that your search behavior may or may not affect the prices you are seeing. Airlines vehemently state that they do not track your searching behavior. But well-versed travelers say they have watched and seen a pattern. Follow these searching ‘rules’ when you get ready to look for a flight, and set yourself up for success. 

Don’t search too early or too often. This may be a myth. As you search the internet for tips, you will find arguments for and against this. Some say that if you search too often, the airlines show you higher prices, leading to panic purchases. The argument is that algorithms recognize your behavior. By constantly searching for the same flights without purchasing, you signal demand, and the price goes up. Additionally, flight prices fluctuate daily and throughout the day, so don’t start looking until you’re ready to buy. 

When you’re ready to start searching for a flight, grab a notepad, pen, and a refreshing beverage. Avoid alcohol. Nobody should be trusted with a will to travel and an alcoholic drink, who knows where you will go or for how long!

Here are a few tips if you want to do what you can to avoid airlines tracking your search. 

• Go to your browser’s settings to clear your cookies and search history.
• Use an incognito web browser. If you’re on a Google Chrome browser, you can right-click the icon and select ‘new incognito window’. Additionally, you can make sure you are on a guest profile. If you are on an incognito window but logged into Google, for example, the incognito window may not be as effective. On Google Chrome, right-click on the Chrome icon to switch profiles. Or select profiles in your computer’s main menu. 
• Use a VPN. If you are on a VPN and you can set the location to be somewhere else, you may find better prices. Some say that the price you see can be based on your location. If you live in a higher-cost-of-living area, with higher demand, you may see a higher price. The quality of your VPN matters. If you are using a free VPN, it is likely to be less effective. You want to choose a location that is known for a low cost of living. Depending on your travel style, this could be your destination, or it could be the Philippines (for example). Do a quick search to find low-cost-of-living locations. Set your VPN location to that low-cost-of-living destination.
  • There is no proof that this actually works, and not all VPN’s are created equal (if yours is free, it probably won’t help). The idea behind this strategy is that the dynamic pricing most airlines use will factor in the income level of the area you are searching from, and that is factored into the pricing. There is some talk in the travel community about the ethics of doing this because, as you can imagine, this can drive up demand (and pricing) for that geographical area, over time. 
• Switch between WiFi Networks. Switching between your home WiFi and your cellular hotspot can help ‘trick the algorithm’ into not recognizing you as one person or connecting your past search history. Do this between each search. Optimize this by using a VPN on your phone too. 
• Minimize multiple searches at the same time. Don’t keep multiple travel site tabs open on the browser, and don’t search on airline apps. Running multiple searches at once will teach the algorithm that the flight you are searching for is in high demand. This can also make you vulnerable to panic purchases. Make sure you are also logged out of the airline loyalty programs on the airline websites. The algorithm will recognize you and your purchase patterns simply because you are logged in. It knows exactly who you are, what you buy, and what you’ve paid for it in the past.
• Isolate all searches. After you’ve run one search, take notes, close the window, and re-open an incognito window. Refreshing the history and cookies again, of course. Think of one search as a combination of a route you are searching and a website you are searching on. Again, write down what you find so you can come back after you run other searches. 
• Search in the currency of your destination, or the default currency of the airline (if your credit card offers a decent exchange rate, we know Chase does). Have your bank do the currency conversion. Paying in your destination currency could save you a little in the long run. For example, If you are flying from the United States to Europe on British Airways. Then you want to pay in British pounds and let your credit card convert to USD. Use a currency app on your phone if you want to know what that price looks like in real time. Do a quick conversion, and include that number in your notes.

Again, remember there is no solid proof that these small changes will guarantee lower prices. But you may as well do what you can to help yourself. We implement each of these strategies when getting ready to search for flights.

2. Smart Searching Tools

An essential guide to flight booking would be worthless if we didn’t tell you where to search and compare flight options. 

• Go to flights.google.com
• Then enter the departure airport (the airport you think you will fly out of). 
• DO NOT enter where you are going or your travel dates.
• Click on the map or the ‘explore’ option. Next, you will see starting prices for other cities on the map. You can drag the map around (and zoom in and out) to see round-trip flight prices from your departure airport to others around the world. Don’t forget to run this search from other nearby airports too. 
• Go to the space on the left where you put in your destination. Click on the calendar that says 1-week trip in the next 6 months.
• Choose the month you want to travel in. Then select travel for a weekend, 1 week, or 2 weeks. 
• You can also change the search to be round-trip, one-way, or multi-city. 
• Then go over to the map and drag it around to get an idea of where to go. Click on the price/city that you are interested in to learn more. You’ll see flight options and airlines that are available there. 
• When you are ready to book, go directly to the airline website to book the flight. Keep in mind that what you are seeing on Google Flights will show the least expensive option. This often excludes the price of upgraded seats, additional luggage, or flexible cancellation/changes, but it’s a great starting point. Even if you aren’t planning to travel light and sit in economy seats. Google Flights recently added new filtering options, too. So if you want an economy or a business class seat, you can filter for that.

Google Flights search where you are flying from

We used this strategy when we planned a 12-day central European trip and couldn’t decide which city to start in. Note that some routes may include multiple airlines. In our experience, some of these can’t be found through the airlines’ websites. We have booked through Google Flights when we couldn’t find the flight through the airlines, and it worked out. However, we did run into some confusion and long wait times when trying to contact the ‘main’ airline, as it wasn’t booked through any of them.

Bonus tip: Use the TravelArrow extension on your Chrome browser to easily compare Google Flights, SkyScanner, and Kayak. This will give you confidence that you are finding the best deal.

Reminder: While we recommend booking the flight when you do the research, we know that many end up having to come back to the task. Just make sure to start back at ‘Setting Up Your Search’. Open the incognito window, clear your cookies and browsing history, and connect to your VPN. If you have flexibility and you can stomach the idea of waiting to book the flight, set alerts with Google Flights, Skyscanner, Kayak, or Going.com.

Typically, you will see pretty similar alerts from each of these sites, so you only need one of these. These sites will send you an alert if the price of the flight you are looking at goes up or down. This is a gamble and can send you into panic mode if you see the price go up. You can also book and play the cancel and rebook game. If you have a good cancellation policy, when you see the price go down. More on this strategy later. 

ProTip: When you find the right flight, book it. There is no guarantee the price will go down; honestly, it is more likely to go up. Especially because your search behavior shows demand for the flight. Your search behavior is why you should always clear your cookies and browsing history. Do this every time you search for flights, and start in an incognito window.

Use this tool if you plan to use points or miles

Planning to use points or miles to travel? Use Seats. Aero to search 19 loyalty programs for the best points options for the flight you want. There is a free version that will give you information for a 60-day flight window. The paid version gives you information for flights up to a year away. This eliminates a lot of guesswork when trying to find not just a flight, but one that you can use your points/miles for.

3. Leverage Out-Of-The-Box Flight Patterns

Sometimes getting creative with your flight pattern could save you tons. Strategies like multi-city, instead of round-trip, or skiplagging could be advantageous. We’re not saying leave and don’t come back. We’re saying make the most of your trip by looking at multi-city flights, extended layovers, and even hidden cities.

Multi-City Flights

Multi-city flights are a good way to start your trip in one place and end it in another place. You can use the same airline for the main part of your travel. Go to multiple cities without having to return to the one you started in. This option should be in the same place as where you select round-trip or one-way. Leverage other forms of travel in between, be adventurous. Rent a car or take the train, a bus, a ferry, or even some shorter flights. Oftentimes, you will find low-cost airlines in your destination that don’t pop up in your initial search, and you can book those separately. Don’t limit yourself to one country just because you think you have to buy a round-trip ticket. Start in Italy, go to Spain, end in France, just sayin’.

Extended Layovers

Extended layovers could give you an extra day and night in a city you hadn’t thought of visiting before. I did a solo trip to Rome and had a 21-hour layover in Copenhagen. I went into the city, explored, and stayed the night before my next flight took off. And now I have a new destination on my list for an extended trip in the future. 

Hidden Cities

Hidden cities. We’re not talking about the lost city of Atlantis here. You’ve probably noticed that flying direct often costs more than multiple legs to the same destination. Why? High demand. You can use a website like Skiplagged to find flights that go through your destination (or home) city with a different final destination. Book that flight, but don’t check your luggage to the final destination. In fact, it’s best to only bring a carry-on when using this strategy. Double-check with the airline to be sure you can do that (for example, if your plans change). Note that some airlines are not happy about travelers who do this. You could be penalized, so use this strategy sparingly.

[stock image from airplane window]

Searching Flexibly

If you have some flexibility, keep your options open. Look at different airports in a general area, and compare different days of the week for your bookend flights. Bookend flights are your main flights from and back to home. Flying on a Monday-Wednesday tends to be less expensive than Thur-Sun. Avoid flying within 3 days of a major holiday, too. Early-morning and late-night flights also tend to be cheaper. Consider alternative airports, Multi-city flights, and adjusting the day of the week you travel for better prices. 

Example: We once planned a trip to Europe around the best routes. We knew we wanted to go to southern Portugal, so we searched for flight patterns to get to Portugal. This was from other European countries because we knew we wanted two destinations in our trip. We initially thought we’d go to Italy or Spain first. Then we found a decent flight from Bordeaux, France, to southern Portugal. We ended up flying to Bordeaux and staying there for 4 or 5 nights, and then on to Portugal. 

Additionally, consider traveling in the off-season. Look at flight prices over a month-long period, and you can see which week is best for prices. Example: We recently planned a trip to fly to Berlin and then take a bus to Poznan, Poland. We thought we would go the week of Thanksgiving (because that’s not a thing in Europe). But it turned out the week before was significantly cheaper. Traveling around the Christmas holiday is the most expensive time of year to fly, followed by the popular summer months. If you can travel Oct-Nov & Feb-March, you will find lower prices. 
Thinking about a trip to Italy, but not sure of where to go? Check out the perfect Italian itinerary and our city guides on what to do while in Italy.

Smaller Airlines

A little more on what to expect with smaller airlines in Europe. You will find smaller airlines almost anywhere you go; we are quite familiar with the European/UK ones. What we have found is that the initial prices are much lower, but so are the amenities.

In many cases, with smaller airlines, you have to pay for all of your luggage. Not to shock you, but this could even include your purse– a small personal item. You will have to pay an additional fee for your seat, yes, you read that right. You will see the base price of the ticket and then build on it, just like buying a laptop. You’ll choose the flexibility of the ticket, the seat type and location, and which bags you want to bring to check or carry on. Then you can see your total. Sometimes this is still cheaper than major airlines, and other times it’s not. 

Some popular airlines in Europe and the UK are Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling, Eurowings, Norwegian Air, and Wizz Air. Note that these airlines are notorious for delayed flights, delayed or lost luggage, and terrible customer service. That said, the worst that’s happened to us is two separate 3-hour delays (totally different trips), but it mostly worked out. *If you are going to smaller and off-the-beaten-path cities, these airlines (or other small airlines) might be your only option. Take delays and lost luggage in stride, remember, you decide what ruins a trip and what doesn’t…

4. Finding the Perfect Seat & Fair Combo

Finding an amazing seat at a good price is what we all want. Lay back business class seats on a long-haul flight & the ability to make changes, it’s the dream. This combination exists, but can be difficult to find when you have a budget. Follow these tips to help maximize your flexibility and comfort. 

Flexible Fares

Buy a flexible fare. Rather than buying the most entry-level ticket, look for something that is changeable. Each airline has its own terminology for this, but for the most part, you are looking for terms like basic, economy, economy plus, premium, business, first, etc. Purchasing a ticket that you can change or cancel allows you to cancel and rebook if your plans change, or if the price goes down. This is a risky maneuver; read more about it in the Price Drop Detectives section. 

The ITA Matrix by Google will lay out fare codes, routing, seat classes, and change conditions. With this information, you can compare pricing options with an understanding of what is and isn’t included. 

Expert Flyer is a search site that will help you find seat upgrades and understand which booking classes they can be used with.

Getting Better Seats

Sometimes better seats are baked into the price of the fare you’ve selected. And sometimes getting a good seat is about knowing how to upgrade after purchasing your flight. When you upgrade from Economy to Premium or Premium to Business, the main difference is in the flexibility of the fare and the seat selection. So it makes sense to buy the upgraded fare from the beginning. But if you want to figure out how to upgrade later without paying for the higher-priced fares, keep reading. 

Before venturing into strategies for seat upgrades, you should know that the availability you see when you book may not be accurate. Not all seats are made available as soon as a flight goes on sale. It may seem like lots of seats are taken. Giving you anxiety and forcing you to purchase a seat in order to avoid the dreaded middle seat. These seats get released closer to the flight date, and the final seats get released much closer to the flight. The check-in time period can be a critical time frame for upgrading your seat without implementing other strategies. This is a risk, but if you wait until the check-in time, you’ll probably find an option to upgrade at a price. This is a good indicator that the flight hasn’t sold out.

Check out these strategies for some ideas on how to upgrade your seat

• Airline mistake in your favor– On occasion, airlines will have an error in their systems. This error prices a business-class flight like an economy flight. These deals last minutes or hours, not days, so you have to be ready. Sites like Going Elite and Thrifty Traveler can alert you to these airline mistakes. Allowing you to scoop up a nice price on a flight. 
• Points and status can help. When searching for flights, compare the price of paying with cash to using your credit card points. Also, compare those to the points needed with the airline’s loyalty program. If the loyalty program has a good deal, see if you can transfer your credit card points to that loyalty program. Sometimes they are worth more this way. Sometimes the loyalty programs have a better deal on the same flight. Or upgraded seats for certain status levels. 
• Bid for the upgrade. Many airlines offer the option to bid for an upgrade. If you do this, set your expectations low. Usually, the bidding opens a few days before the flight. Airlines would rather sell their upgraded seats at a discount than give away free upgrades later. Bid something slightly above the minimum and hope for the best. You can save over 50% on the increase in cost for the upgraded seat. 
• Airline sales on upgrades. Watch the airlines’ app for deals on your flight. If the airline has lots of empty seats, they may do a flash sale to sell the unsold seats at a discount. You may also get an email about these deals. In order to take advantage of these deals, you will need to book a changeable fare from the beginning. Again, they’d rather sell at a discount than give free upgrades.

Pro Tip: Mix your cabin classes and go big on the long-haul segment of your flight to keep your expenses down. You don’t have to upgrade the whole journey. For example, if you are flying a 3-segment flight and two of the segments are less than 3 hours, stay in those seats. But upgrade your 3rd leg that is over 6 hours. You do this in the seat selection phase and pay for the upgrade on just the segment you want to upgrade.

FYI: Business class tends to fill up more on the days that business travelers fly. So, avoid travel on a Monday if you are hoping for a low-cost upgrade.

Advanced Seat Upgrade Strategy

This next strategy takes it to the next level when it comes to finding discounts on upgraded seats. But if you’re committed, you could find the golden seat without having to pay for it. The idea is to make the system think it only has good seats left.

Dummy Book. Yes, that’s what it sounds like. This requires opening multiple windows and getting seats in a cart, not just any seat- lots of middle seats. Why would you want middle seats in your cart? Well, these are dummy carts, and what you are doing is tricking the system. You are making the system think that these seats are taken. You’ve probably seen that when you are buying flights, you have somewhere around 10 minutes to complete the purchase. This is because the seats are being held for you. So if you are swift and you get a bunch of middle seats in different carts, then you may find some nice aisles or windows being assigned to you when you actually book your flight. This is best done on multiple devices, and must be done quickly.

5. Pricing: How To Compare Your Search Results

Looking at the details behind pricing is critical. Don’t skip this step; you may live to regret it. Don’t pass a good deal because it’s not Tuesday. There is a rumor that the best day to book a flight is a Tuesday. Some believe this, but there is no proof. If you see a good deal and think you’ll wait for a better one, you might miss a good deal altogether.

Savings Versus Comfort

Choose the flight that fits your budget and needs, not just the cheapest. Comfort matters! Quick reminder that, as you are searching and comparing, you should clear your cookies and search history between searches. Here are some things to consider when comparing savings.

Departure and Arrivals Screen [stock photo by Josh Winters]

Day of travel and time of year

There is some truth to cheaper days to travel, but like anything, it’s all subjective. While it is often cheaper to travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday, this is not always the case. In truth, more people travel for business on Mondays, and most travel for pleasure on the weekends. Leaving Tuesday and Wednesday to be in lower demand and have lower prices. Airlines know if there is a holiday, event, or other reason for high demand to travel to your destination or out of your home airport. If you can travel mid-week or off of peak season, you’ll find less expensive flights most of the time. 

Hidden Fees

We’ve all heard of hidden fees, the fees you don’t see until you get further into the booking process. Don’t compare the initial prices you see. Sometimes, a slightly more expensive flight includes these fees, saving you money in the long run. It’s important to compare apples to apples, so make sure to go through the full checkout process. Stop before the payment though. Do this to compare prices. Consider the perks, seats, luggage, and change allowances, which may factor into the price. 

Connection Time

Always compare the time you have to change planes. Just because they let you book flights that land and depart 40 minutes apart doesn’t mean you are capable of making your connection. Sometimes it’s worth it to have extra time to stretch your legs and get something to eat while you’re on the ground, even if it means getting to your destination later. If you end up in the back of the plane and you land 40 minutes before your next flight takes off, you might not make it. By the time your flight taxis to the terminal and everyone deplanes, it’s already been 20 minutes since landing time. Most flight doors close 10-15 minutes before departure. If your gates aren’t in the same terminal, you won’t make it. Don’t set yourself up for this kind of failure; you already have to get up early.

Pro Tip: Book your domestic flights 6-8 weeks prior to your trip and your international flights 3-5 months in advance of your trip, for the best prices. Data shows that flight prices can go up in the last month of domestic flights and the last 3 months for international flights.

6. Airline Status Matters

Loyalty pays off! Enjoy free baggage or upgrades if you have airline status.

• Consider these benefits when comparing with other airlines. Sometimes they make a difference, but other times the price of the flight isn’t worth the perks.
• If that airline doesn’t fly where you are going, try booking with one of their partner airlines. But use your preferred airline’s loyalty membership to continue accruing points/miles. AND still enjoy perks like priority boarding, free checked luggage, and the priority line at security or customs!
• Getting status with an airline that is part of the Star Alliance network can pay off when you travel internationally as well. We’ve received free checked luggage, express security, and boarding lines with the Sapphire One World status. Consider this when you choose which loyalty member number to use when you travel.

7. Credit Card Perks

 If you don’t have an airline credit card, you may still have travel benefits through your credit card.

• Check your card’s travel offers! Transfer points to booking or airline partners for maximum mileage magic. Some credit card points can go further when you transfer them to the airline partner. That is a permanent transfer, so be sure you know what you are doing. For example, the points you have on one credit card may be worth a 1:3 ratio when transferred.
• If they don’t have booking partners or don’t allow you to transfer points, don’t give up. They may still have some good flight options or perks if you book through them, so dig into your benefits. Alternatively, you may be able to just get a statement credit or cash out your points. With a cash out, you can book however you want and still get your flight covered. 
• Does your credit card have price protection? Some do. If yours does, it means that if the price of your flight drops after the cancellation window, you can get the difference in price back. Compliments of the credit card company. 
• Get up to speed on how to get the most out of your credit card. The Points Guy has a great email series about mastering the points game, and it is absolutely worth your time.

If you have points and want to be sure you use them the best way you can, we recommend Point.me. This subscription-based service helps travelers unlock maximum value from their points and miles. Users save an average of 50-90% on award flights with Point.me

Subscriptions include:

• Real-time flight searches with 100+ airlines and over 30 loyalty programs. 
• Fare alerts (never miss a deal or a bonus opportunity)
• Side-by-side cash vs. points comparisons (make smart choices) 
• Step-by-step transfer guides for your credit card points and loyalty programs. 

A Point.me subscription starts at just $10.75 a month. The savings would pay for itself and then some.

8. Book Directly with The Airline

We always say that booking with the airline will lead to smoother sailing! Typically, it is easier to make changes to your flight if you book directly with the airline. Additionally, the airline is going to be much easier to work with if you have issues in transit. For example, if one flight is delayed and you miss another, it can get messy if you booked with multiple airlines or a third-party site. 

Many international flights will be with 2 or 3 airlines. Aim to book with the larger airline for the longest leg of the flight if you can. If you do find an outstanding price with a third-party site, make sure you understand exactly what’s included.

There is always an exception to the rule. If your credit card booking site gets you a better price or perks that you can’t pass up, then book through your credit card site. The other exception to the rule: The third-party site is giving you a really great price or connecting different airlines in a way you haven’t been able to. In this case, you may want to book through the third party. Hidden fees or taxes you forgot about can add up quickly.  Keep reading for more on comparing prices. 

One perk we found with third-party booking is that some of the sites, such as Expedia, offer price protection (for a fee). And they will automatically reimburse you if the price of the flight you booked goes down on their website. You don’t have to watch and find the price change, they do it for you.

9. To Insure Or Not To Insure?

Now that you’ve found your perfect flight,there is one last thing to consider– should you get the insurance? It depends; first, make sure you know what coverage you get with the credit card you booked the flight with. Some credit cards offer some protection for cancellations, lost luggage, etc. We highly recommend insurance on anything that you can’t cancel and get a refund for (over 24 hours in advance). Remember that this insurance is often only useful if something out of your control happens. Not just because you’ve changed your mind. 

Different Types of Insurance

To purchase travel insurance for your trip, you can take it as you go and check that box on the airline website when purchasing your flight. However, we suggest looking into the bigger picture and getting insurance for your whole trip. If you do this, consider paying extra for CFAR insurance, which is Cancel For Any Reason. This means you don’t have to prove a catastrophe or extreme illness to get your reimbursement. Double-check the insurance policies, though. Sometimes, you have to purchase the CFAR insurance within a specified period after booking the first item of the trip. Which could be a flight or hotel, even if you have coverage on that item already. This window is often 10-14 days after booking that first item.

Pro Tip: If you are an American Express Cardholder, you can purchase Trip Cancel Guard (Cancel For Any Reason insurance) through Amex’s travel website at checkout. If you bought your ticket somewhere else, you can still purchase this. The purchase must be within 30 days of purchasing a flight (as long as it’s at least 5 days before the flight). Note that this coverage is for reimbursement up to 75% of the value of the ticket. Which is common with CFAR insurance).

Travel Insurance has a multitude of options. The first type of insurance you are probably thinking of is coverage for cancellations, coverage if your luggage goes missing, or if you have an accident. The other is medical insurance while you travel.

Two of our favorite travel insurance companies are InsureMyTrip and Ekta Traveling. InsureMyTrip is more of a traditional travel insurance platform. You input the parameters of your trip, and then you can compare plans and what coverage they offer. We have found reasonable rates with them, and the site is pretty easy to use. Ekta Traveling is a tiered level of membership, with a per-day fee, and you can choose a level based on your degree of need. Ekta Traveling is great for the thrill seeker who may be at a higher risk of injury. They even offer a plan that will cover injury if there is alcohol in your system- most don’t. Oh, and if you are concerned about legal help, they can cover that too.

10. Price Drop Detectives

What kind of essential guide to flight booking would this be, if you didn’t know how to capitalize on deals after you booked? Booked a refundable ticket? Set price alerts! If the price drops, cancel and rebook for savings! Here are a few ways you can monitor and catch price drops.

• You can set price alerts with the websites you did your initial research on (when you were comparing airfares). This could be Google Flights, Going.com, SkySkanner, etc. You may also find alerts on some of the airlines’ loyalty programs. *If you booked through a travel agent, ask if they watch this for you. 
• Most airlines have free cancellation within 24 hours of booking. So even if you didn’t book a refundable flight, it could be worth tracking it for the first day. While $30 or $50 might not sound like a big savings, it could cover one of your meals during your trip. And if you booked a family vacation, this will add up quickly. Don’t leave money on the table!
• Key dates to check back for price drops are 21-30 days prior to departure for domestic flights. And 30-45 days prior to departure for international flights. These time frames are when prices are likely to drop a little. 
• Remember, this might require canceling the initial flight first, requesting a refund, and then booking the new flight separately. In general, you can’t book the same flight twice under the same name. This is why you have to cancel and then book (have two windows open, ready to complete each task.
  • If you have the purchasing power to do this, it’s better because refunds can take some time to process. That better price could disappear while you are waiting for your refund. A good credit card will give you that purchasing power.
• Be careful with this trick; you must understand your cancellation and change policies to make this work. If you booked non-refundable, don’t set these alerts up. That will just lead to buyer’s remorse, and you don’t need that negativity in your trip planning journey.
• Follow the social media pages of various airlines. On occasion, the airline will announce low ticket prices via social media only. Stay in the know and act fast.

11. ChatGPT Has Entered The Conversation

We know many are thinking and asking themselves, what about ChatGPT? Can AI really help me find better prices for my flights? The short answer is maybe. The thing is that ChatGPT doesn’t have access to any information that you don’t. Think of it as more of a time-saving tool that can help you get a good start on your search. 

If you already have the search game down, GPT won’t blow your mind, but it could save you time. The quality of the results you get will depend on the quality of the prompt you give it. Additionally, GPT is not a human and will not understand your needs the same way you will. You will need to vet the results and compare with your own logic. Then decide if the recommendations work for you. 

Prompting GPT For Best Results

When it comes to writing prompts for GPT, you’ll want to focus on asking it an overarching question. This question could be ‘Can you help me find the lowest prices for a round-trip flight from [insert home airport] to [insert desired destination] in the month of [insert travel month]. After this, you will also need to instruct it with some parameters. If you don’t include parameters, it may come back with results that cut your trip in half, or include airports that don’t make sense for you. Is a cheap flight worth it if you have to drive 4 hours to get to the airport, then take 4 segments and 30+ hours to get there? Probably not. Techradar’s article 16 ChatGPT Prompts to Save You Money on Flights is a great starting point if you plan to utilize ChatGPT.

12. Apps to Simplify Your Customs Experience

If you are anything like us, you probably hate to admit how much easier organizing your life is with a smartphone. But you can’t deny that apps make things really convenient. Get these apps installed on your phone and make your trip that much smoother. Don’t forget to create your account ahead of time. And avoid relying on shaky internet connections when you need them most.

• Download MyTSA: With this app, you can be prepared for what to expect at your re-entry airport.
• MPC (My Passport Control): Breeze through security and simplify international arrival. Pre-answer the 5 customs questions without needing to fill out a questionnaire. You can do it for your whole family, too. Note that you will need to take selfies of everyone in the moment. This is only for returning to the US, not for when you are abroad. 
• Our resources page has a plethora of other apps that you may find useful in your travel planning and during your travels.

We hope this essential guide to flight booking like a pro has given you the confidence to book a flight. Go forth and fly wherever your wanderlust takes you.

***An important note about credit cards: credit cards are not effective if you are using them to make purchases that you can’t afford. We recommend only making purchases that you can pay off before the statement is due. This will avoid credit card interest fees that ultimately increase the price of your purchase. We are not financial advisors. We recommend that you talk to someone if you are unsure about your spending habits and having a credit card.

Your Next Read:

Useful Things To Do Before Planning an International Trip

How To Plan An International Trip in 5 Steps

13 Things We Always Do Before Taking a Trip

-XO, The Twins

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