Wie ich günstige Flüge finde

Where can I find cheap flights on the Internet? Are there any travel hacks for this?

Finding the cheapest flights is now almost like a competition. Booking flights has become easy. But finding the best flight for you, preferably the cheapest, is a real challenge.

"From Germany to Hawaii for 300 Euro? How did you manage that?" Are there any travel hacks?

Well, I also asked myself this question at the beginning when friends or colleagues spontaneously made a "bargain" when booking flights. Because the most expensive thing about traveling is often the flight tickets.

That's why I'm sharing my experience and tips here so that you can find cheap flights too. I've learned a few tricks and tips over the years that, surprisingly, not everyone knows yet.

Incidentally, I prefer direct flights and would rather pay 100 Euros more for a flight where I don't have to change planes. But this has only developed over the last few years because in times of climate change I try to reduce my ecological footprint as much as possible.

Note: If your flight is canceled, and you have a delay of more than 3 hours, passenger rights apply to flights from or to the EU. Here, I give you tips on how to get compensation for flight delays.

My travel hacks for finding the cheapest flights

Are there any insider tips when it comes to booking cheap flights? Yes and no. There are many rumors circulating when it comes to finding a bargain. From deleting cookies in your browser to booking flights on a Wednesday.

Here are my travel hacks and instructions on how I go about searching for flights. The more and more often I fly, the more important it is for me to get to my destination as quickly as possible. Preferably with a night flight. I'm happy to pay 100 - 200 Euro more for flight tickets. But I'm also not a student or trainee who has to watch every penny. Fortunately, those days are long gone.

In times of climate change, I also think it's essential to avoid unnecessary open jaw flights with longer distances. Despite working in the travel industry, I fly as little as possible. Since the war in Ukraine, flight tickets have become much pricier. Flights to Asia cannot currently take place via Russia and are also becoming more expensive due to longer detours. Kerosene prices are also rising. After the long corona phase, many tickets have generally become pricier. It is therefore all the more important to be patient when booking.

By the way: According to the latest studies, you book your flight on average 11 months before your trip. If you want to fulfill a long dream and know your destination that far in advance, you should check flight prices and book. Flight bargains are rare these days. At Travel Dealz you can always find cheap flight tickets if you are flexible (in terms of the city as the departure airport and the date).

Is there a "best day" to book a flight?

I have compiled all the guesses and tips here. Some are correct (flights in low season are cheaper than in high season), some are not (days).

• There are many studies that indicate the perfect day to book a flight: Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. One thing is clear: booking on the weekend is pricier.
• Flights are cheaper in the low season. But this also varies depending on the destination, as there are often fewer flights in the low season, which are nevertheless in high demand.
• When to book? Experts advise you to book flights around 6–8 weeks before your planned departure. Occasionally, there are also last-minute offers, but this is risky. According to the latest findings, 11 months before departure is the best time to book (I'm too spontaneous for this and don't like to plan that far in advance).
• If you are flexible with travel dates or airports, you can regularly find better deals.
• Use comparison portals and set price alerts to be informed about price changes (Skyscanner).
• Sometimes the prices are cheaper directly on the airline's website than with third-party providers.
• Look out for special offers and discounts that airlines regularly offer. Subscribe to their newsletter and follow their social media channels.

These are of course, only tips and guidelines. There is no guarantee for cheap flight bookings. But they can help you find a good deal.

Book flights early

I'm spontaneous and don't like to plan very much. But planning and booking early really pays off. Last-minute bargains are very rare.

Rule of thumb for booking flights within Germany: According to a study, flights are cheapest if you book about 6 weeks in advance. I no longer fly within Germany, but travel by train instead.

According to this study, tickets are then 40-50 % cheaper than on the day of departure. The prices rise rapidly the closer the departure date approaches (empirical values are 21 days, 14 days, 7 days and 3 days before departure).

For long-haul flights (especially if you are traveling at popular times), you should check the prices of flights earlier.

Example: Japan during the cherry blossom season. If we hadn't been so spontaneous here and had looked for flights more than 3 months before departure, we could have saved at least 300 - 400 Euro per person (direct flights, for flights with a stopover it would have been less, but definitely more expensive).

Being flexible pays off

Be flexible when it comes to departure and arrival days. The cheapest departure day is not always (as often recommended) a Wednesday, but often Friday. However, only early in the morning or late in the evening. For flights within Europe, Monday is the cheapest return flight day. Experience shows that Sunday is the most expensive. However, if you are returning from a long-haul trip, Sunday is often the cheapest.

Therefore: Take your time and check exactly what the flights cost, even 1–2 days earlier or later. You also need to be flexible with departure times.

Almost all flight search engines now offer to display an entire month so that you can see how the flight prices differ from day to day (examples from Skyscanner.de and Momondo):

BOOK FLIGHTS ✈️
We constantly look for cheap flights at Skyscanner. Currently, it is a problem to find the really cheapest flight in flight search engines. Basic flights do not include a piece of checked baggage. This initially distorts the price.

Avoid the peak season for traveling (holiday)

Vacation time is peak travel time. The demand is high, tickets are scarce because everyone wants to travel. If possible, avoid school vacations or public holidays or travel from another federal state where there are no vacations yet.

Check whether there is a public holiday or vacation period in the country of arrival before you book.

Use flight search engines to compare flights

The best way to find cheap flights (and also the quickest way) are so-called flight search engines. These search all airline platforms and websites to find you the cheapest offer or the fastest flight.

I prefer direct flights and avoid having to change planes more than once if possible. The time lost when changing planes is immense. The chance that your luggage won't make it is just as great.

In general, flights with 1-2 stopovers are of course cheaper. So I leave it up to you to decide what is more important to you: saving time or saving money.

I recommend these flight search engines (exactly in this order):

• Google Flights
• Skyscanner: Not only airline prices are taken into account here, but also those of online travel agencies such as Opodo or Lastminute.de.
• Momondo
• Kiwi.com

The best search engine for an initial overview is Google Flights. You can easily enter several departure airports, open-jaw flights and alternative, nearby destination airports. The search is very simple and clear. Nevertheless, I have noticed that not all airlines are always listed.

The search engine for flights is simple and very easy to use. As usual, you enter your departure airport and your destination and select a specific date or "flexible travel dates". When you mouseover the date, the search engine shows you the cheapest day to get your flight ticket.

You can even see directly how much a First Class flight would cost.

You can also add further departure or destination airports. Sometimes it's worth traveling to another airport. For me, Stuttgart and Frankfurt are convenient. I always search for departures from Stuttgart and Frankfurt and then decide which one to choose.

What is the difference between Google Flights and Skyscanner or Kiwi?

The usual search engines for flights obtain the prices from travel agencies. These are therefore not always completely up-to-date or the main baggage is not included. In contrast, Google Flights accesses the airlines' data directly. Google claims to be able to undercut any offer with the cheapest flight.

You also need to be careful with flight search engines, as there are sometimes high fees for payment by credit card, bank transfer or PayPal when booking.

This was the case with the last flight I helped friends book, and we used Skyscanner to find another cheap provider that didn't charge high transfer fees.

Book with or without luggage?

The cheapest way to fly is to travel with hand luggage only. Not a problem in Europe, but often a big problem on long-haul flights, as you are usually traveling for longer. My camera equipment is too heavy for hand luggage only.

There is also the issue that flight search engines show you the cheapest price, but not that this supposedly cheap flight ticket does not include any checked baggage: Happened to me when looking for cheap USA flights (Frankfurt - New York). Skyscanner showed me really cheap tickets with KLM, AirFrance (operated by Delta). I booked this flight for two friends. In retrospect, it turned out that they had no baggage to check in with Delta. The confusion is huge.

According to the website, luggage can only be booked at the airport at check-in. The information on how much it costs varies from 50 to 80 $ per flight. Excellent, not.

The next day, I booked another flight for a friend. This time, the first flight was already sold out and the cheapest was surprisingly with Lufthansa. Except that they now also offer flights with hand luggage only.

I booked anyway, because I have the service with Lufthansa to be able to book baggage directly for €50 per flight. Super! So this was still the cheapest direct flight from Frankfurt am Main to New York (and back).

So: Pay close attention to whether the price includes hand baggage only. All flight search engines are working on a solution, as they are aware of this problem and do not want to upset any searchers.So: Pay close attention to whether the price includes hand baggage only. All flight search engines are working on a solution, as they are aware of this problem and do not want to upset any searchers.

Note: A frequent flyer card from Miles and More (Lufthansa) is worthwhile here. With this status, you can check in 2 x 23 kg of baggage and your companion can fly with hand baggage only. Here you can read how I collect miles and points with Revolut, Miles and More and the Amex.Note: A frequent flyer card from Miles and More (Lufthansa) is worthwhile here. With this status, you can check in 2 x 23 kg of baggage and your companion can fly with hand baggage only. Here you can read how I collect miles and points with Revolut, Miles and More and the Amex (just in German because AMEX is less worth here).

Use the Google Flights proximity search

As you can see in the screenshot, you can directly display the airports in the surrounding areas. Use this function.

Example: Nuremberg. A departure from Munich or Prague could also be worthwhile here, as in the example mentioned in the introduction with the cheap flight to Hawaii (departure was cheapest from Prague).

Check: Test a different departure and destination airport or arrival and departure location. They don't necessarily have to be the same. Sometimes you can fly up to 50% cheaper this way.

CO₂ emission at Google Flights

As I mentioned before, I try to avoid flights in Germany and Europe. Sometimes it's not possible, so I think it's great that Google Flights (as far as I know the only flight comparison site) shows you the CO2 emissions of the flights. This not only shows you the price and duration of the flight, but also how much CO₂ is emitted.

Check the prices directly on the airlines' websites

Directly after the flight search engines, I visit the website of the airline for which the cheapest price is displayed. Sporadically you'll find the cheaper price there. Unfortunately, this is no longer a regular occurrence, as the flight search engines often have contracts with airlines (allegedly) so that they can offer the cheapest tickets.

Example booking via flight search engine: I found my flight from Jordan via Dubai to Denpasar (Bali) for more than half less at kiwi.com. It would have cost twice as much with Emirates direct.

I also found my flight to Florida at Skyscanner half cheaper than at Lufthansa direct.

Example booking with airline: I booked my direct flight to Japan directly with Lufthansa, although I flew with ANA. The advantage of this was that Lufthansa displayed the cheaper price and I was able to pay part of it with miles (Miles and More Gold credit card).

Note: In the event of a rebooking, you will have the least stress if you book directly with the airline. Incidentally, this is one reason why I avoid low-cost flights with Ryanair, for example. These low-cost airlines only cause trouble. I'm also not a fan of their practices. But that's up to you. Since Corona, it's even better to book directly with the airline. With Opodo you only have trouble if you have to rebook flights.

Safe money with one-way Tickets

Ok, one-way tickets usually cost as much as a return flight combined. Sometimes (although rarely) it still pays to book two individual one-way tickets. Since my Mexico trip, I always check whether the flights are cheaper if I book the outward and return flights separately. This really happens very rarely, but it has already happened to me and I was able to save over 150 euros on direct flights.

As a rule, however, these are more expensive. Occasionally you get lucky, as we did on our flights from Frankfurt - Cancun and Cancun - Frankfurt with Condor.

Use programs to earn miles

It has now become really difficult to earn miles in Germany and Europe in general. If you are not yet registered for a bonus program, you should still do so. You earn miles with every flight. If you fly regularly or often on long-haul flights, you will quickly accumulate credit, which you can use to get your next flight cheaper, treat yourself to an upgrade or even fly for free.

The fact that there are no excellent credit cards for earning miles in Germany is because the EU has regulated "interbank fees". This means that banks are no longer allowed to charge such high fees for credit card transactions. As a result, there is not so much money left over to invest in miles. In the US, things are entirely different because they have superb miles-earning credit cards.

For a long time, my preferred credit card for collecting miles was the Miles and More credit card from Lufthansa. I recently got the American Express Platinum Card (here is my test report). I collect so-called Membership Rewards points by paying my cell phone bill and all purchases (for example in the Apple Store) with the Amex credit card. Since then, the points have been multiplying by themselves. I can then transfer them to frequent flyer programs such as Miles and More. Even before Corona, I got Frequent Traveler status, which has now been extended for two years thanks to Corona.

I now use my free Revolut current account to pay all my bills (cell phone bill, rent, electricity). As a result, I collect miles with Miles & More (with the M & M Gold credit card). I was recently able to pay for a return flight to Kenya with Lufthansa thanks to miles. Great, right? However, this card and also the Miles and More credit card from Lufthansa are really not worthwhile for everyone.

This is just for people, living in Germany:

Subscribe to newsletters for low airfares

Sign up for the airlines' newsletters or flight search engines. This is particularly worthwhile in Asia (e.g. AirAsia) or renowned airlines (Qatar, Etihad, Lufthansa). Here you will often find attractive offers for a limited period.

Search for cheap flights on bargain portals

Due to errors in the calculation of the software, it can happen that flight prices are issued too cheaply. Then you can get a real flight bargain and even find long-haul flights for less than 100 euros (some people claim that this is sometimes a marketing measure by airlines).

How do you find such offers? On websites that specialize in finding and publishing these error fares. Point 2 also applies here: Be flexible.

You have to be cautious with these error fares: it has also happened that the ticket was declared invalid directly at check-in. Incidentally, the cheap ticket to Hawaii in the introduction was an error fare and everything went well.

According to one study, the cheapest flights are supposedly found on a Thursday. Others say it's Tuesday. I have also found a cheap flight on a Wednesday. The fact is: regularly check the websites of airlines and flight price portals from 11 months before departure.

Tips for "ErrorFares" when booking flights with bargains:

• Secret Flying
• Travel Dealz

Conclusion to book flights cheaply: Do these travel hacks really exist?

Yes and no. The systems are so sophisticated and supply and demand regulate prices, sometimes on a daily basis, that it is almost impossible to find bargains on popular routes and segments. However, there are always "error fares" that you have to book quickly. It still pays to be flexible.

What tips do you have for booking flights? Which flight search engines do you use?

Are there any flight search engines besides Swoodoo and skyscanner.de or bargain portals that I have forgotten? Give me your comments, I look forward to your feedback.

I hope you enjoyed this guide and that it helped answer your questions. If you have any tricks, ideas or questions, we look forward to your comments here on the travel blog.

If you don't have any questions: We still look forward to your feedback and that you share this post with friends!