Most People Only Use 20% of These Tools
Flight comparison sites are extraordinary pieces of technology — but the majority of travellers use them in the most basic way possible: type in a route, pick the cheapest result, book. That approach leaves a lot of savings on the table.
Here’s how to actually use these tools the way frequent flyers do.
The Tools Worth Your Time
- Google Flights — our go-to for flexible date searching and price tracking. The date grid is exceptional
- Skyscanner — best for ‘where can I go cheapest from my city?’ open-ended searches
- Kayak — strong for comparing prices across multiple booking sites simultaneously
- Momondo — frequently surfaces deals that Google Flights and Skyscanner miss. Worth a cross-check
- Hopper — best for price prediction: tells you whether to book now or wait
Use the Date Grid — It Changes How You Search
Google Flights and Skyscanner both show a calendar or grid view of prices across an entire month. This is one of the most powerful features in travel search and most people never use it. Switch to this view and the cheapest days to fly jump out immediately. We almost never book without checking the date grid first.
Search ‘Everywhere’ When You’re Flexible on Destination
Skyscanner’s ‘Everywhere’ destination feature shows you the cheapest places you can fly to from your city on your chosen dates. It’s how we discovered a $180 return flight to Lisbon was available on dates we were already free. If you have any flexibility on where you go, use this feature — it’s genuinely brilliant.
Always Enable Nearby Airports
When the option appears, turn on nearby airport comparison. If you’re flying from London, comparing Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton for the same route can reveal price differences of $50–150. The extra bus ride sometimes pays for itself many times over.
Verify the Price Directly With the Airline
Once you’ve found a great deal, go directly to the airline’s website and check the price there. Airlines sometimes offer their own exclusive discounts not visible on aggregator sites, and booking direct means smoother resolution if anything goes wrong. We do this as a final step on every booking.
Set Price Alerts and Stop Checking Manually
Every major comparison site lets you set a target price and notifies you when fares hit it. This is vastly more efficient than checking manually every day. Set the alert, get on with your life, and let the tool do the work.
Always Calculate Total Cost Including Bags
A $50 cheaper flight becomes more expensive the moment you add a $60 checked bag fee. When comparing results, check the baggage policy for each option. Many comparison sites now show fare class breakdowns that make this easier.
Try One-Way Searches Separately
Booking two one-way tickets with different airlines sometimes beats a round-trip from one carrier significantly. Search each direction independently and compare the combined cost. Takes an extra five minutes and occasionally saves $100+.
The Map View for Trip Inspiration
Both Google Flights and Skyscanner have map-based search features. Enter your home city and browse a world map colour-coded by price. It’s part trip planning, part daydreaming — and occasionally surfaces routes you’d never have thought to search.
The Pro Move: Cross-Check Momondo
After searching Google Flights and Skyscanner, run the same search on Momondo. It uses slightly different data sources and aggregates different booking sites. We’ve found fare differences of $30–80 on the same route between platforms often enough to make it a standard step.
To Summarise
Flight comparison sites are only as powerful as the person using them. The date grid, fare alerts, one-way searches, and total cost calculation are the features that separate great deals from average ones. Use them consistently and you’ll wonder how you ever booked without them.
