Introduction

Top Sites Overview

• 🌐 Momondo/Kayak: Best overall for finding the lowest fares with comprehensive filters and features.
• ✈️ Skyscanner: Excellent for international flights with a user-friendly interface and flexible date options.
• 🔍 Skiplagged: Known for uncovering hidden city fares and offering great deals on direct flights.
• 💼 CheapOAir: Best for last-minute deals, though inconsistent with advance-purchase fares.
• 🗺️ Google Flights: Fast and comprehensive, but often shows slightly higher prices.
• 📅 Hopper: Good for predicting price drops and finding cheap airports, but lacks detailed filters.
• 🏨 Priceline: Great for bundling flights with hotels and car rentals, with decent filters.
• 🌍 Tripadvisor: Reliable for decent prices and a variety of filters, but slow and average for last-minute fares.
• 🚆 Kiwi: Offers flexible itineraries and compares flights with train and bus options, but has inconsistent pricing and customer service issues.
• 💡 Hotwire: Best for last-minute deals, but poor filters and often misses low-cost carriers.

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Methodology

• 🔍 Testing Process: 15 sites tested on 32 itineraries, including major and secondary gateways.
• 📅 Flight Types: Both last-minute flights and APEX fares (booked three months out) were considered.
• ✈️ Routes: Included major routes like NYC to LAX and international routes like LAX to Hong Kong.
• ⏳ Layover Rejection: Ignored itineraries with excessively long layovers or too many stops.
• 📊 Scoring System: Weighted scoring system rewarding points for best fares and penalizing higher-than-average fares.
• 🔍 Aggregator Quality: Emphasized the importance of reliable OTAs and accurate fare representation.

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Pros and Cons

• 🌐 Momondo/Kayak: Pros - Comprehensive filters, includes baggage fees. Cons - Can be slow.
• ✈️ Skyscanner: Pros - Flexible date options, includes low-cost airlines. Cons - Mediocre filters.
• 🔍 Skiplagged: Pros - Great for direct flights, unique interface. Cons - Mediocre filters, no baggage fees shown.
• 💼 CheapOAir: Pros - Best for last-minute deals. Cons - Erratic advance-purchase fares, slow and glitchy.
• 🗺️ Google Flights: Pros - Fast, detailed filters. Cons - Often shows slightly higher prices.
• 📅 Hopper: Pros - Predicts price drops, finds cheap airports. Cons - Limited filters, too many up-sell pitches.
• 🏨 Priceline: Pros - Good for bundling, decent filters. Cons - Middle-of-the-road on price, especially for last-minute fares.
• 🌍 Tripadvisor: Pros - Decent prices, variety of filters. Cons - Slow, average last-minute fares.
• 🚆 Kiwi: Pros - Flexible itineraries, compares with train and bus options. Cons - Inconsistent pricing, poor customer service.
• 💡 Hotwire: Pros - Best for last-minute deals. Cons - Poor filters, often misses low-cost carriers.

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Tips for Finding Cheap Flights

• 📅 Flexible Dates: Use tools like Skyscanner's 'Whole Month' view to find the cheapest days to fly.
• 🗺️ Nearby Airports: Check nearby airports for potentially cheaper flights.
• 🔍 Incognito Mode: Search in incognito mode to avoid price increases due to cookies.
• ✈️ Error Fares: Subscribe to error fare websites like Scott's Cheap Flights for unexpected deals.
• 💼 Bundling: Use sites like Priceline to bundle flights with hotels and car rentals for savings.
• 📊 Price Alerts: Set up price alerts on sites like Hopper to get notified of price drops.
• 🌍 Multi-City Trips: Book multi-city trips on sites like Momondo to save on multiple destinations.
• 💳 Frequent Flyer Points: Sign up for frequent flyer programs and use points for discounts.

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Additional Resources

• 🌐 Frommer's Guide: Comprehensive reviews and rankings of airfare search sites.
• 📚 The Jetsetter Diaries: Tips and tricks for finding cheap flights and using search engines effectively.
• 🔍 Better Business Bureau: Check for complaints and red flags about unfamiliar OTAs.
• 📅 Rome2rio: Explore alternative travel options like trains and buses.
• ✈️ Fly4Free: Subscribe to error fare websites for unexpected deals.
• 💼 Travel Insurance: Consider buying travel insurance from a third party for added security.
• 📊 Price Trends: Use tools like Momondo's 'Fare insights' for price trend breakdowns.
• 🗺️ Explore Everywhere: Use Skyscanner's 'Explore everywhere' feature for destination inspiration.

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