You Can Still Score a Great Flight Deal This Year—Here’s How

With headlines about soaring airfares—driven by increased travel demand as pandemic fears recede and rising fuel costs—many consumers might feel they've missed their opportunity for good flight deals this year.

Their concerns are valid. Booking app Hopper forecasts that domestic round-trip fares will average $360 by May, a jump from $235 at the beginning of 2022. International flights are expected to reach an average of $940 in June, up from $650 in January, according to Hopper. Additionally, jet fuel prices, which are the second-largest expense for airlines after labor, are likely to remain elevated due to the ongoing impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on energy supplies. As a result, Delta Air Lines has indicated that U.S. round-trip flights could be $30 to $40 more expensive by June.

However, air pricing experts suggest it's not too late to uncover a travel deal, particularly if you're flexible with your travel dates and destinations. The demand for travel is high, and airlines that raise their prices excessively risk losing customers who are more sensitive to costs.

Top Destinations with Great Flight Deals

“Travel providers are still working hard to bring back travel with competitive pricing,” states Naomi Hahn, vice president of strategy at booking platform Skyscanner. Recent search data from Skyscanner reveals that some popular leisure destinations, like Honolulu, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale in the U.S., as well as locations in the United Kingdom, Iceland, and Portugal, have actually seen price drops compared to pre-pandemic levels. A significant factor is the number of competitors on specific routes and the presence of low-cost carriers.

Timing and Strategies for Finding Flight Deals

Experts suggest that booking at least four weeks in advance—preferably six to eight weeks ahead—can lead to significant savings, potentially up to 51 percent. Utilizing the calendar search feature on various booking platforms, such as Google Flights and airlines’ own websites, enables travelers to view all available fares and select the lowest-priced dates. Often, adjusting your travel dates by a day or two can yield a more affordable fare, according to Hahn.

Another cost-saving approach is known as a “hacker fare,” which involves booking two one-way flights on different airlines. “Departing with one airline and returning with another, or flying into different airports, can help save money,” Hahn explains.

A classic and straightforward method for scoring deals is to sign up for price-monitoring alerts, which can be found on the Hopper app and many other travel booking websites, including Kayak and Google Flights.

Stay Updated on Current Events

Willis Orlando, senior product operations specialist at flight deal tracking service Scott’s Cheap Flights, advises international travelers to stay informed about shifting pandemic regulations, as airfare typically decreases when a country eases travel restrictions related to the pandemic.

“Whenever restrictions are lifted, we observe airlines becoming more proactive in adding flights to those routes,” Orlando explains. For instance, following Iceland’s removal of all travel restrictions on February 25, numerous new flights between the U.S. and Iceland have been introduced for this summer—not only by major airlines like United and Icelandair, but also by the budget carrier Play.

A similar situation occurred when the U.K. relaxed its entry requirements earlier this year, resulting in an influx of new flights, including JetBlue’s recently announced service from Boston to London starting in July, which complements its existing routes from New York to Heathrow and Gatwick. In summary, he says, “Keep your eyes on the news, and you’ll likely see lower fares.”

Budget Airlines Can Make a Difference

Another positive shift in airline ticket pricing could emerge from the arrival of several new budget carriers that have recently entered both the domestic and international markets. U.S. startups like Breeze and Avelo provide lower fares that often beat those of major U.S. airlines.

“When a low-cost airline launches on a route, prices can drop by more than 20 percent,” says Hayley Berg, head of price intelligence at Hopper. However, she notes that “some of these airlines are still relatively small, and their impact hasn't been felt on a national scale yet.”

A Guide to Emerging Low-Cost Airlines

Since last year, a new wave of startups has emerged just as the pandemic recovery picks up speed. If, like us, you find it challenging to keep track of these newcomers and their routes and prices, we’ve compiled a useful list for your deal-hunting endeavors. Just remember: with most of these budget carriers, you can expect to pay extra for nearly everything, from seat selection to in-flight meals and baggage.

Eureka!

Aha! (short for “air-hotel-adventure”) operates from Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada, with one-way fares generally starting at $79. Utilizing 50-seat Embraer ERJ regional jets, Aha! connects over a dozen cities on the West Coast, including Tahoe, Palm Springs, Ontario (east of Los Angeles), Fresno (south of Yosemite), as well as Eugene, Oregon, and Spokane, Washington.

Avelo Airlines

Avelo commenced operations in Burbank, California, flying a fleet of 737s across both U.S. coasts. This low-cost airline has recently established a second base in New Haven, Connecticut, providing service to Florida and destinations like Charleston and Nashville. From Burbank, Avelo offers daily round-trip flights to Santa Rosa in California’s Sonoma County, with additional destinations including Bozeman, Montana; Eureka and Redding in Northern California; Grand Junction, Colorado; Bend and Eugene in Oregon; and Pasco in Washington’s wine region. Promotional fares start at $49 one-way, while regular fares begin at $79.

Breeze Airways

Founded by JetBlue's David Neeleman, Breeze Airways is rapidly growing and currently operates in several cities across the eastern U.S., including New York’s MacArthur Airport in Islip, Florida’s Palm Beach, New Orleans, Norfolk, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina. The airline plans to introduce longer routes soon, including coast-to-coast flights, by adding larger aircraft like the Airbus A220 to complement its existing Embraer regional jets. One-way fares start at approximately $64 for the basic “Nice” class; customers can upgrade to “Nicer” and “Nicest” fares for perks such as a free checked bag.

French Bee

French Bee is a low-cost airline based at Paris’s Orly Airport, which faced temporary setbacks due to the pandemic. However, this French discount airline is back with new long-haul flights connecting France, the United States, and French Polynesia. French Bee operates flights between San Francisco or Los Angeles and Paris, with continuing service to Tahiti. One-way fares from Orly to Los Angeles International Airport start at $279. Flights are conducted on an Airbus A350-900, a modern version of the advanced wide-body aircraft.

Level

The Spanish low-cost subsidiary of IAG (which owns British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia) is set to begin flights to Barcelona this summer from Boston and Los Angeles, while also resuming service from New York and San Francisco. Level operates these flights using wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft, with round-trip fares starting at $420 from New York and $631 from Los Angeles.

Play

Rising from the ashes of the former Wow Airlines, Play is launching transatlantic flights to Iceland this month, beginning with routes from Baltimore-Washington Airport to Reykjavik, and later expanding to Boston, New York/Newburgh, and Orlando, using narrow-body Airbus A321 jets. Once in Iceland, passengers can connect to 22 European destinations, including Berlin, Brussels, London, and Paris, along with smaller locations like Tenerife and Bologna. This summer, one-way fares can be found for under $200, and like Wow, Play operates an all-coach fleet of single-aisle Airbus A320 and A321 Neo aircraft.

Coming soon . . .

Do you remember Norwegian Air, the original discount airline for transatlantic travel? Well, keep an eye out, as it will be making a return, in spirit at least, under new ownership and a new name: Norse Atlantic Airways. It is expected to use the same 787 Dreamliner jets for transatlantic flights as its predecessor, but will initially take a modest approach, flying from several (yet to be revealed) U.S. locations to its hub in Oslo, where passengers can connect to various airports across Europe. The carrier has reportedly received U.S. approval to begin selling tickets, potentially as early as this month, with flights planned to start this summer.