Top 10 Cheapest Flight Booking Websites

Travel Hack deal top 10

✈️ Want to find the cheapest flights fast?
Then you need to know what kind of flight search site you’re using. Not all of them work the same.

Here are the 3 types of airfare search tools—and what each is best for:

1. OTAs (Online Travel Agencies)

These sites sell you the ticket.

🛒 Examples: Expedia, Priceline, Orbitz
🎯 Best for: Buying now and bundling flights with hotels or cars
🧠 Travel Deal Hacker Tip: Use them for vacation packages—not just flights.

2. Metasearch Engines

These sites search lots of other sites for you—but you book elsewhere.

🔍 Examples: Google Flights, Kayak, Skyscanner
🎯 Best for: Comparing lots of prices fast
🧠 Travel Deal Hacker Tip: Start here to see the big picture. Book direct if the price is close.

3. Flight Deal Finders

These sites hunt down hidden deals or mistake fares.

🎯 Best for: Flex travelers who just want to go somewhere cheap
📲 Examples: Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights), Thrifty Traveler, Dollar Flight Club
🧠 Travel Deal Hacker Tip: Sign up for alerts and let the deals come to you.

🧭 Bottom line:
If you want to travel smart, use all three types of tools like a pro.
Start with a metasearch to scan prices.
Check an OTA if you’re booking a package.
And let flight deal finders tip you off to bargains.

#8: Hopper – Flashy, but Fading

Type: Aggregator
Hopper looks cool and gives advice on when to book, but it’s not what it used to be. It once showed tons of info like price history and baggage fees, but now it mostly just predicts if prices will go up or down.

Hopper did okay with tickets bought early, but it was one of the worst for last-minute deals. It still highlights cheap dates with color-coded calendars, and you can filter by comfort level like “Basic” or “Luxury.”

Watch out: Hopper pushes a lot of extra services like trip protection and fare freezes—twice. And its best features come with extra fees.

Best for: Booking early with flexible dates
Skip it if: You need a last-minute deal or hate being upsold

Travel deal hacker tip: Check Hopper’s price trends, then book on another site to avoid fees.

#7: Kiwi – Flexible but Flawed

Type: OTA
Kiwi lets you search flights “anytime” and even compares trains and buses. Its flexible date tools and fare grids are great for travel deal hackers.

But the deals are hit-or-miss. It scored well on some last-minute routes but did poorly on advance purchase direct flights. And many users complain about poor customer service.

Best for: Flexible travelers comparing all transport options
Skip it if: You want guaranteed support if something goes wrong

Travel deal hacker tip: Use Kiwi to plan your trip, then book directly elsewhere for peace of mind.

#6: Priceline – Old Dog, New Tricks

Type: OTA
Priceline cleaned up its act and now offers better filters, includes budget airlines, and even gives creative itinerary options (like saving $40 with a short Istanbul stop).

Its “Express Deals” can save up to 40%, but you won’t know the airline or exact schedule until after you pay.

Advance fares were strong, but it fell short on last-minute deals.

Best for: Travelers okay with mystery flights to save money
Skip it if: You need full flight details before booking

Travel deal hacker tip: Check Express Deals if you’re flexible and adventurous.

#5: Tripadvisor – Trustworthy, but Tired

Type: Aggregator
Tripadvisor offers decent prices and smart filters—like searching nearby airports or only showing trusted sites.

But it’s slow, and its prices weren’t much better than average. Whenever it found a great deal, our top 3 sites had it too.

Best for: Comparing across sites you already trust
Skip it if: You want fast results or top-tier last-minute deals

Travel deal hacker tip: Use Tripadvisor to double-check prices from more polished apps.

#4: CheapOAir – The Last-Minute Champ

Type: OTA
No site beat CheapOAir on last-minute deals. It found the cheapest tickets more often than anyone else.

But it’s a mixed bag: lots of pop-ups, slow loading, and not great for advance bookings. Still, its calendar shows daily prices clearly, and the airline price chart is handy.

Best for: Booking in a rush
Skip it if: You’re planning months ahead

Travel deal hacker tip: Always check CheapOAir for last-minute trips—but verify prices on other sites too.

#3: Skiplagged – Direct Flight Deal Hunter

Type: Aggregator
Skiplagged is famous for hidden city fares, but skip those unless you know the risks. We tested it without those.

It shines on direct flights and has a cool interface with price calendars and visual flight comparisons. It also shows fun destinations when you leave the “To” field blank.

But filters are weak, baggage fees aren’t shown, and sometimes prices go up when you click to book.

Best for: Fast, simple searches for direct flights
Skip it if: You want detailed filters or baggage info

Travel deal hacker tip: Use Skiplagged to spot good direct flights, then book through a more trusted seller.

#2: Skyscanner – Explore the World on a Budget

Type: Aggregator
Skyscanner is strong on price, especially for booking ahead. It shows prices from many sites and gives you ratings to help spot sketchy sellers.

“Explore Everywhere” is great if you’re open to any destination, and you can search nearby airports or entire countries.

Its filters aren’t the best, and it’s only average on last-minute deals.

Best for: Budget travelers with flexible plans
Skip it if: You need exact results fast

Travel deal hacker tip: Use “Explore Everywhere” for inspiration, then sort results by ratings before booking.

#1: Momondo – The Travel Deal Hacker’s Best Friend

Type: Aggregator
Momondo is back on top. It finds cheap fares more often than anyone and has the best filters in the game. You can even factor in baggage costs, filter by aircraft type, and compare seller ratings.

It also shows price trends and graphs to help you decide when to book—and explains it all clearly.

It’s a little slow and not great for last-minute deals, but for almost everything else, Momondo wins.

Best for: Smart, flexible travelers who want the best deal with all the info
Skip it if: You need to book a same-day flight

Travel deal hacker tip: Start every search with Momondo—you might not need to check anywhere else.