There’s good news for travelers: Airfares dropped 4% from February 2024 to February 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That means taking that dream vacation may be more attainable now than it was last year.
You may be able to save even more by booking at the right time, snagging a “mistake” fare or flying into a different airport. To find the best deals, you can use an app designed to help people find cheap flights.
The best flight apps offer features that will alert you to price drops, let you search for cheaper travel times or help you find special pricing not easily found elsewhere.
Try one of these nine discount airfare apps and services that frequent flyers say work for them.
— Going
— Skyscanner
— Dollar Flight Club
— Google Flights
— Hopper
— Kiwi
— ExpertFlyer
— Onriva
— Your favorite airline’s app
1. Going
A good flight alert program can simplify the process of finding a deal. These services send emails or notifications whenever discounted airfare is available to selected destinations, and Going is a favorite source for flight alerts.
The company notes that most deals are 40% to 90% off normal prices and says premium members save an average of $550 on international flights and $200 on domestic tickets.
“(It) is one of the best apps to use when searching for cheap flights,” says Alex Miller, CEO of UpgradedPoints.com. “It can narrow down what city you’re located in and then alert you when a qualifying airfare, based on criteria that you set, is found.”
Users can choose from three tiers of service:
— Free limited accounts receive alerts about deals on continental U.S. flights.
— Premium plans cost $49 annually and include international and domestic economy flights, mistake fares and points and miles deals.
— Frequent globetrotters may want to spring for the elite plan, which costs $199 per year and provides alerts for premium economy, business and first-class flights.
[READ: Insider Secrets to Booking Cheap Airfare.]
2. Skyscanner
Skyscanner has a free flight app that is compatible with both Apple and Android devices and provides pricing alerts when a good deal becomes available. The app is easy to use and allows you to set alerts for specific dates or routes. Check out the Drops section of the app for price reductions of 20% of more.
Travelers can also use Skyscanner’s calendar and charts to compare hundreds of flights for both international and domestic destinations. The app highlights flights that emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, lets users mix and match flights from different carriers and offers a search option that allows travelers to find the best prices for flights originating from their chosen airports.
When you find a flight you like, Skyscanner will direct you to a third-party booking app to make the purchase. In addition to flights, users can search for hotels and car rentals using Skyscanner.
3. Dollar Flight Club
Dollar Flight Club is similar to Going but structures its plans differently.
Free accounts get alerted to deals from one departure airport, while premium members can choose four departure airports and 10 dream destinations for deal alerts on domestic and international economy flights. Premium membership costs $69 a year. There is also a Premium Plus+ membership that runs $99 per year and includes premium economy and business class deals as well.
The service says members get access to deals of up to 90% off airfare from their home airport and savings can be up to $500 per flight.
4. Google Flights
While not currently available as an app, Google Flights offers a simple online interface that allows you to search for flights to specific airports and then see a calendar view that shows when flights will be cheapest. It also has a price graph that allows you to see pricing trends over time.
“You can plug in your start city and then let Google Flights make suggestions on where to fly from there based upon the cost of airfare,” Miller says. That’s a useful tool for travelers with flexibility.
Once you find the right airfare, you’ll need to find and book it directly with the carrier or through a third-party booking service.
[READ: Does Google Flights Really Save You Money?]
5. Hopper
The Hopper app offers various tools to help you find and lock in the best price. It is free to download and use, although some features, such as price freezes and the ability to cancel for any reason, require a fee. However, one of its core services is predicting future travel prices, which helps travelers decide whether to book now or wait for a price drop.
That’s one reason it’s among the best flight apps, according to Kevin Raposo, founder of KnowTechie. He used it to book a vacation to Saint Lucia and says it couldn’t have been easier. “You can do it all at the push of a button,” he says.
For those just browsing on the app — which is available for Apple and Android devices — Hopper will color code flights using green, yellow and red to indicate which flights are most and least expensive.
6. Kiwi
Compatible with Android and Apple devices, Kiwi promises its app will provide travelers with exclusive offers and prices. It searches for the best rates from all available airlines to piece together the lowest-priced itinerary.
The free app also allows users to search for all deals from a specific airport, which can be handy for those who are ready to take a vacation but don’t have a particular destination in mind. Within the app, users can get price alerts, access mobile boarding passes and view airport maps.
Kiwi also offers travel hacks that can save money, such as bookings with “hidden cities” and a Nomad tool for those who want to visit multiple cities. What’s more, the app offers other travel services such as destination guides and the location of Wi-Fi hotspots.
[Related:What Is Skiplagging and Should You Do It to Save Money?]
7. ExpertFlyer
The ExpertFlyer website won’t win any design awards. It looks like something from the early days of the internet and even references now-obsolete Blackberry devices. But frequent flyers say that shouldn’t deter you.
“ExpertFlyer is another great tool, though admittedly, it’s for the more advanced flyer,” Miller says. “Rather than perform ordinary searches to uncover good airfare deals, you can set alerts and search by specific inventory on flights.”
That means that this service is intended for those who know where, when and with which airline they want to fly. If you have a specific route that you travel frequently, ExpertFlyer can help you find discounted fares.
A free version provides seat alerts while a paid pro subscription, which starts at $4.99 per month, comes with additional features such as the ability to search for awards and upgrades.
8. Onriva
Airfare apps aren’t only for those booking vacations. Business travelers and their employers are often searching for a good deal as well. That’s the niche Onriva fills.
“We’ve built a platform to bring everything in one place (so) you don’t have to hop from site to site,” says Onriva founder and CEO Vajid Jafri. “This has never existed before.”
While other apps may allow users to book from multiple companies, they typically serve as digital travel agencies. With Onriva, bookings are made directly with an airline or other vendor through the app’s platform, which the company says can provide 20% savings. For added convenience, Onriva also provides customer service.
The app brings together travel options from more than six million hotels and 800 airlines. Then, it uses artificial intelligence to learn user preferences and make recommendations.
Anyone with a business email address can sign up for an Onriva account, but you’ll have to request a demo to get pricing information.
9. Your Favorite Airline’s App
Don’t overlook your favorite airline’s app when searching for cheap flights. Booking direct can sometimes be the best option, according to Sandra McLemore, a travel industry expert and TV host.
“While these (third-party) apps may feel convenient and more user-friendly than other online booking options, buyer beware,” McLemore says. If you buy your tickets through that third-party app, you may find it difficult to receive customer service should any issues arise.
“An airline will send you right back to the app or online booking engine to receive service,” McLemore points out.
Also, by focusing your spending with a specific airline you may find it easier to accumulate frequent flyer miles, which you can redeem for free flights and therefore save more money in the long run.
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9 Best Apps for Finding Cheap Flights originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 04/16/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
