Cheap International Flights

The same route can look very different

Take New York to London. Search it on Monday, then Wednesday, then Saturday. Odds are you'll see three different prices, sometimes by a lot. Airlines set long-haul fares on their own schedules and they don't wait for each other. Check one site on one day and you've seen a sliver.

Layovers change the whole picture

Nonstop is nice. It's also the pricey option on most routes. A flight with one stop can save real money if the connection is sensible, so look at how long you'll be sitting in that airport. Forty minutes is too tight. Seven hours is a long night on a plastic chair.

Real help for complicated trips

Some trips don't squeeze into a search box. You want to fly into Rome and home from Madrid. Or four of you are leaving from two different cities. Or something changed last night and you need an answer now. Ring +1 (844) 799-2125. Our agents are on all hours and will go through it with you, and occasionally they turn up fares the website doesn't show.

London and Paris

London is easy to reach from almost every big US airport, and that crowd of airlines keeps fares honest. Try Boston to London or Los Angeles to London to see how it looks. Paris is nearly as simple from the East Coast, especially New York and Miami.

Tokyo and the rest of Asia

Tokyo is a West Coast favorite, all year round. Los Angeles and San Francisco both send plenty of flights there, which gives you something to compare. Cherry blossom season pulls fares up, so if you're watching the budget, a different month might suit you better.

Mexico City and Canada

Not every overseas trip means eleven hours in a middle seat. Toronto and Mexico City are short flights from Chicago or Houston, and the fares can come in lower than you'd guess. You'll still need your passport, even if it feels like a long weekend away.

Dubai and the Middle East

People go to Dubai for Dubai, and plenty more pass through on the way to South Asia or Africa. From New York it's a long flight, so don't just sort by price. Over twelve hours, a decent seat and a good meal count for something.

How far ahead

Two to four months before you go works for most long-haul trips. Summer and the holidays fill up faster, so start earlier for those. Holding out for a last-minute drop on a popular route? Usually a bad bet.

Shoulder seasons

Spring and fall, just outside the busy stretch, often bring cheaper fares. Europe in October feels nothing like Europe in August. It's cooler, quieter and kinder to your wallet.

Midweek departures

Same trick as at home: flights that leave midweek often cost less than weekend ones. Open the fare calendar and look a few days either side of the date you had in mind.

Small choices that add up

Check a second airport

Newark rather than JFK. Oakland rather than SFO. London has several airports of its own. A different one can mean a lower fare, but figure out the train or taxi into town before you get excited.

Consider one stop

One stop can take a big bite out of a long-haul fare. Just check the layover. Two hours feels fine in some airports and frantic in others.

Read what the fare includes

Checked bag, meals, seat choice. Full-service airlines tend to bundle more, while budget carriers charge for each one separately. Add everything up, then compare the totals instead of the headline numbers.

Try an open-jaw ticket

Fly into one city, come home from another. It often costs about what a normal round trip does, and you don't have to double back to where you started.

Check the fare again

International fares move around too. If you're not in a hurry, look at your route over a few days and watch where it heads.

Your passport

You need one to fly internationally, Canada and Mexico included. Plenty of countries also want it valid for some months past your return date, so look up the rule for your destination before you book.

Visas and entry rules

What you need depends on your passport and where you're headed. Some places want an online authorization before you leave. We find you the flight. The entry paperwork is on you, and the destination country's official site is the place to check.

If your flight is delayed or canceled

The rules aren't the same everywhere. In Europe, regulations can mean compensation in some cases. For flights to and from the US, Department of Transportation rules generally give you a refund if the airline cancels and you decide not to go. Keep your confirmation emails. The airline flying you is the one that fixes things.