Try the following ways to find inexpensive flights this year:

Again, timing is critical: not too early, nor too late.

Set up notifications and do your homework.

Be adaptable in terms of pricing, location, and timing.

Be aware of the COVID-19 restrictions.

Before making a reservation, consider the season.

Timing is critical: neither too early nor too late.

The days of finding the most excellent flight prices on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. or even precisely 50 days before the departure date are long gone. “Airline travel is unpredictable,” says Keyes. “Think of it in terms of ‘Goldilocks’ windows: not too early, not too late, in the middle, just perfect.”

For domestic flights, travelers should begin looking for tickets one to three months ahead of time. The best discounts for overseas flights are often available two to eight months in advance.

The optimal time to buy can also differ between airlines.

“You’ll still find the cheapest fare further out with Southwest and Spirit. However, if you want to travel American or United, they’re both holding inventory, so it’s a game of chance, “says Edward Russell, Skift’s airline reporter. In general, seven weeks from your departure date is a reasonable time frame, but he adds tickets a week or two out that were cheap in 2020 won’t be this year.

Set up alerts and do your research

To get the best rate on a plane ticket, Keyes recommends being patient and researching airline prices daily.

“Your best bet is to be patient and wait for those $1,000 flights to fall to $400. Most of the time, they will, as long as you look far enough ahead of time, and you need to be alerted when those inexpensive flights occur – many individuals use flight trackers or search online every day, “According to Keyes.

To keep track of pricing for a specific route, travelers can use alert systems such as those provided by Google Flights or Skyscanner.

Be adaptable in terms of pricing, location, and timing.

According to travel experts, the word of the year for 2021 travel is flexibility.

“I can’t remember a period when things were so tense. We have scheduling volatility, pricing volatility, and so on, “According to Brancatelli. “This season, I believe, will necessitate financial and geographical flexibility. But, unfortunately, we’re in the same boat when it comes to hotel rooms and automobile rentals, “which have seen price increases along with increased demand in recent months, he claims.