How to Find Cheap Flights in 3 Easy Steps in 2024

Technology and internet accessibility have made it possible to find cheap flights in 2024. Sometimes, you may find yourself spending hours on search engines, scouring for affordable flights for your next trip.  

First, let’s face it: There are so many active airline websites to choose from. Second, prices on these websites change in a span of very few minutes, and there are so many options. Therefore, it's quite difficult to be confident that you’ve secured the best flight deal for your next trip. 

If you’re a frequent traveler or a corporate organization, you understand how traveling, especially by air, can be expensive. And often than not, you want to ensure you don’t blow away your travel budget on airfares. 

What if we told you there is a way to save on airfares in 2024? This blog post will give you an overview of how to find the best flight deals online easily in 2024. 

Are you ready? Let’s dig in

1. Leverage the Best Search Platforms When Searching

Travel SaaS platforms and agents earn revenue by adding a commission to the ticket price. For example, upon booking through a Travel SaaS platform, you'll see "Taxes and Fees" included in your ticket cost, representing the commission earned from the sale. To save on airfare, choosing services from platforms known for lower commissions is wise.

Also, remember that not all airlines will have their airline content on all the available Travel SaaS platforms and comparison sites. Therefore, to be safer, it’s always important to check a few sites before making your final decision. 

We cannot say that there is a single search and comparison tool that beats them all. If that were the case, it would be so easy for travel lovers to plan their trips. 

But here are some of the top recommendations from us: 

Travelduqa: As one of Africa's leading flight search and comparison engines, Travelduqa should be your first choice when looking for the best flight deals online. It offers a user-friendly interface for corporate travelers and frequent flyers. Corporate travelers can track and manage their travel budget through a single dashboard. Additionally, users benefit from localized 24/7 customer support.

Google Flights: This site stands out for travelers with its real-time calendar feature, simplifying finding the cheapest flying days. Once you've chosen your ideal date, you can book your flight directly through their website or another preferred platform.

Kiwi: Kiwi offers more flexibility than Google Flights or Skyscanner due to its wide range of airline content options.

For travelers in Africa, such as those from Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Nairobi, Kenya, etc., Travelduqa might be the preferable choice, particularly for its round-the-clock local customer support and expansive airline content. 

1. Look Out for the Best Time to Book Your Next Flight

Not unless it’s an emergency. To find affordable flights, you should avoid booking during peak travel time. Both local and international flights have different peak travel times. If you’re a Kenyan, you need to know when is the best time to travel to Kisumu, Mombasa, Nairobi, Eldoret, or even Kitale. 

You should consider these two factors when booking your flights:

• When is the best time to book
• The cheapest time to fly to your preferred destination

So you may ask, when is the best time to book? 

One thing is for sure: there is no one-size-fits-all when finding the cheapest flights. Several factors must be considered, primarily based on the type of flight you are after. 

So, if you want to travel during the holiday or peak travel season, the best time to scout for the best flight deals is as soon as the airlines release the flights. The timelines may slightly differ from airline to airline, but usually, it’s around 11-12 months in advance. 

However, the timings will vary a lot when it comes to other times of the year. An airline like Kenya Airways usually requires one to book 2-6 months out before your travel date. Here are a few timelines that work best on most airlines:

Domestic flights: 1 to 3 months in advance

International flights: 3 to 8 months in advance.  

And when is the best day to fly?

A while back, most airlines added more fares on Tuesdays, which explains why many travel websites advised booking on Tuesdays. However, this is no longer the case, as website airlines load new fares every few minutes. Therefore, it is hard to say when is the best time to book cheaper flights. 

But if you’re in Kenya, you will agree that flying on Fridays from Nairobi to places like Kisumu, Eldoret, and Mombasa is more expensive than during the week. Similarly, the same is true on Sundays, as most people are coming back to their respective weekly activities. 

When is the Cheapest time to fly?

If you’re looking to save money on airfare both internationally and locally, then you’re better off traveling from January through mid-May. Alternatively, you could travel between September and early December. 

On the other hand, it can be more expensive to travel during peak summer months, Christmas and New Year’s holidays. 

When all is said and done, finding cheap or expensive flights varies a bit by destination. For example, flying to Zanzibar in May might be cheaper than at other times of the year. 

Leverage Social Media Platforms

Following different airlines and flight aggregators is a great way to find cheap flights in 2024. More often than not, airlines reveal their flight deals on their social media channels. 

A good example is Jambojet, which recently arrived in Kenya. To celebrate a decade of flying, they decided to give their travelers juicy airfare discounts of 10kshs to all their local destinations. 

So, whether you were going to Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Goma, Malindi,Diani, or Lamu, you were eligible for the discount. At first, people thought it was a prank, but JamboJet quickly sold out of 1000 tickets at only 10Kes.

You also learn when an airline opens a new route and offers discounts to its customers. Kenya Airways (KQ) recently announced Eldoret as its new route, and it was amazing to see how many people flew to Eldoret on Kenya Airways.

Moreover, following platforms like Travelduqa also has an added advantage, as you might learn about cheap air tickets or airlines that have the best deals during the week or the month. You can follow a pattern and leverage the best flight deals to your preferred destinations. 

Now You Know the Best Way of Finding the Best Flight Deals

Where are you traveling to next? Are you a corporate traveler, frequent flyer, or random traveler, and you need help with your next flight booking? Feel free to implement these steps, and you'll save money and time and avoid hassle the next time you search for the most affordable flight tickets!

Do you have any additional strategies for saving on airfares up your sleeve? Leave a comment below.