How to find cheap flights: tips to know

Everything you need to know to find a cheap flight and book at the best time, whether it's to Thailand or elsewhere.

Every day, airlines offer thousands of deals, special offers or price reductions to compete with other airlines.

Cheap fares are available if you know how to find them.

Here are some tips for finding cheap flights to Thailand or elsewhere.

1. Be flexible with your travel dates

Airfare prices vary considerably depending on the day of the week, the time of year, and upcoming holidays such as Christmas, New Year's Day, or school holidays.

July and August remain peak months in Europe, but according to the Expedia 2025 report, August is now often the most economical month for long-haul flights, especially to Asia.

On the other hand, the periods around the end-of-year holidays or the major school holidays remain the most expensive.

If you travel at the same time as everyone else, your ticket will logically cost more.

Try to be flexible with your dates: shift your departure or return by a few days, and you'll see the difference.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no longer a “magic day” for booking or travelling.

Airline algorithms adjust prices in real time based on demand, but according to Google Flights, Thursday or Friday flights are often slightly cheaper than weekend flights.

Early morning or late evening flights, on the other hand, are generally more affordable, as they are less popular.

The difference of one day or one time can represent hundreds of euros in savings.

Airlines are well aware when a festival, holiday or major event is approaching — and adjust their fares accordingly.

It is therefore better to anticipate and monitor fluctuations over several weeks using tools.

Example: Lowest prices per month:
Flights to Thailand: find the best price and best times to fly :

2. Be flexible with your destinations

If you can't be flexible when traveling, at least be flexible with your flight destination.

It's best to plan with both, but if you really want to save a lot of money and get a cheap flight for your trip, you should at least do one!

Airline search engines have made it very easy to search worldwide to find the cheapest ticket – you no longer have to search manually.

Kiwi offers the "Explore" tool which allows you to enter your departure airport and see a world map with all flights and prices.

This is a great feature if you don't know where to go!

When you become flexible, the whole world opens up to you and you'll easily find cheap plane tickets!

3. Cheap flights: think low cost

Just a few years ago, long-haul flights were reserved for traditional airlines.

Today, low-cost airlines cover a large number of international routes, making it possible to travel much cheaper if you pay attention to the conditions and additional fees.

Major low-cost carriers such as AirAsia , VietJet Air or Scoot (a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines) offer very competitive fares in Southeast Asia, with numerous connections to Thailand.

From Europe, several low-cost airlines — such as Wizz Air, Ryanair or EasyJet — offer deeply discounted flights to major hub airports, making it easier to reach Asia at a lower cost via Gulf or Middle Eastern carriers.

Airlines such as Qatar Airways , Emirates , Etihad or Oman Air often offer very competitive fares between Europe and Bangkok, while offering a level of comfort far superior to that of low-cost carriers.

Today, they represent an excellent alternative for travelers seeking good value for money.

⚠️ Please note: Norwegian has not operated long-haul flights to Thailand since 2021.

As always, be sure to watch out for hidden charges — that's where low-cost companies make up for their call rates.

They can charge separately for checked baggage, hand baggage, seat selection, boarding pass printing, meals, or even the use of a bank card.

Before booking, add up the ticket price and any additional fees to check if the total price is still actually cheaper than a regular flight.

Eat and drink before the flight: meals on board are rarely included and often expensive.

With a little organization, you can save several hundred euros while taking advantage of unbeatable rates for Thailand or elsewhere.

4. Cheap flights: don't take a direct flight

It's good to be flexible with dates and destinations, but being flexible with the route you take is another way to get a cheap flight.

There are so many low-cost carriers around the world that sometimes taking advantage of a good deal in another city or country and then taking a discounted flight to get there is the best option.

For example, flights between Reunion Island and Thailand are very expensive, but since there is a large Indian community in Reunion, it is easy to find a cheap flight to India, then from India, there are many low-cost flights to Thailand!

If you want to try this method, make sure you have at least 3 hours between connections, as booking tickets with different airlines will mean that if something goes wrong, you can't just put it on the next flight.

Your second airline won't care about your delay because they didn't fly them!

This method is more laborious, because you have to figure out many different routes and check different airlines, and the connection adds more time to your trip.

But it saves even more money on your flight, giving you more money to spend at your destination.

You can also look at interregional land transport, find the cheapest neighbouring country and reach your final destination by train, bus or boat with search engines like 12go.asia .

5. The best search engines

You should do multiple searches on multiple websites to make sure you don't leave anything to chance.

No search engine is perfect: some do not list low-cost companies, others apply booking fees, and results can vary from site to site.

The most popular and reliable websites for finding cheap flights in 2025 are:

Google Flights – for clarity and precision

Google Flights has become one of the best tools for tracking price changes and identifying the right time to book.

It displays trend graphs, allows you to create automatic alerts to be notified when the price drops, and indicates whether the price is high or low compared to the usual average.

This is an excellent starting point before booking.

Skyscanner – the global reference

Skyscanner remains an essential comparison tool.

It allows you to search for flights "anywhere" from a given airport, view prices on a monthly calendar, and combine airlines to get the lowest fare.

The interface is clear and the mobile application is very comprehensive.

Momondo – the direct competitor

Momondo remains very popular for comparing fares between agencies and airlines.

Its colorful display and advanced filters make it easy to refine the results.

Like Skyscanner, it includes regular and low-cost airlines, but it's always worth checking for additional fees before the final booking.

Kiwi – to combine several companies

Kiwi is ideal for experienced travellers looking to save money on long journeys.

The search engine sometimes combines several non-partner companies to create a unique, discounted route.

⚠️ However, these combinations do not benefit from “connection protection”: if a flight is delayed, the next airline will not wait for you.

Always check layover times and transit airports.

Aviasales (formerly Jetradar)

Aviasales has replaced Jetradar and now offers a more modern interface and competitive fares, especially for flights in Asia and secondary destinations.

It also compares offers from online travel agencies to find the lowest prices.

12go.asia – for transportation in Southeast Asia

12go.asia remains essential for travelling within Thailand or between neighbouring countries.

The search engine allows you to compare low-cost flights, buses, trains and ferries , a practical option if you are combining several modes of transport in the region.

Kayak and Expedia – for a global overview

Kayak and Expedia remain useful general-purpose tools.

Expedia publishes its annual “Air Hacks” report, which analyzes fare trends and identifies the best days to book based on the season and destination.

By 2025, the best strategy is to use at least two different comparison sites (e.g., Google Flights + Skyscanner) and to activate price alerts.

Comparing prices over several days and across different platforms remains the most reliable method for finding a truly cheap flight.

6. Keep an eye out for special offers

Nobody likes cluttering their inbox, but in 2025, automatic price alerts and offer newsletters remain the best ways to not miss a good deal.

Many comparison websites like Google Flights, Skyscanner, Kayak or Expedia now allow users to create customized alerts :

You will receive a notification or email as soon as a fare drops for a given route.

These tools automatically compare hundreds of airlines and highlight flash deals , often available for only 24 to 48 hours.

Subscribers to company or platform newsletters can also access exclusive promo codes or private sales before anyone else.

Here are some websites to follow to stay up-to-date on promotions:

• Holiday Pirates – excellent for last-minute European deals;
• Secret Flying – publishes daily price errors and very cheap flights worldwide ;
• Fly4Free – very useful for offers to Asia and multi-destination combined flights.

Tip : Also follow the official pages of the airlines on social media.

They often publish flash sales or regional promotions not listed on comparison sites.

In summary, subscribe, activate alerts and check offers regularly : the lowest prices disappear quickly, sometimes in just a few hours.

7. Research single-person flight prices

Do not search or purchase multiple tickets in one purchase.

Airlines always display the highest ticket price among a group of tickets.

For example, if you are a family of four and are looking for four seats, the airline will find four seats together and show your fare based on the highest ticket price.

So if seat A is $200, seats B and C are $300, and seat D is $400, the price of those tickets will be $400 each instead of adding up the individual prices.

Therefore, always search for tickets as a single person.

Then, during the ordering process, you can choose your seats so that you and your family are seated together.

8. Cheap flights: book early, but not too early

Airline fares now change constantly based on demand, load factor and dynamic pricing algorithms.

The closer you get to the departure date, the more prices tend to increase, but booking too far in advance isn't always the best option either.

According to data from Google Flights and the Expedia 2025 Air Hacks report, there is no longer a universal “magic moment” to buy tickets.

On average, the best rates are observed:

• approximately 39 days before departure for short or regional flights;
• between 2 and 4 months in advance for long-haul flights, especially to Asia;
• and up to 6 months in advance for peak season periods (Christmas, Songkran, European summer).

The key is to monitor prices over several weeks using automatic alerts (Google Flights, Skyscanner, Kayak…) and book as soon as you notice an upward trend.

For domestic flights in Thailand, the differences remain significant:

CAAT survey conducted between Bangkok-Don Mueang and Phuket, nearly a third of passengers paid less than 1,000 baht (about €27), while the last tickets sold often exceeded 3,500 baht.

Airlines apply dynamic pricing: early buyers benefit from the lowest fares , before prices gradually increase as the flight fills up.

In summary, don't count on last-minute deals for long-haul flights: it's better to monitor prices regularly and book as soon as the fare falls within your budget.

9. Ask for a discount

It is always worth checking if you can get a discount when booking your flight.

Some airlines still offer preferential rates for students, young travelers, families or seniors, but these offers are now more targeted and often available only through their official channels.

For example :

• Thai Airways regularly offers youth and student fares upon presentation of an ISIC card;
• Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways offer occasional discounts for students through university partnerships;
• In Europe, some companies like Air France or Lufthansa still apply special fares for those under 26;
• Seniors can sometimes get discounts on domestic flights, particularly in Asia or South America.

It is also worth checking promotional codes or loyalty programs (Miles & More, Emirates Skywards, KrisFlyer, etc.):

Even a free registration can save several tens of euros on a round trip.

In summary, always ask the question or check the "Special Offers" section on the company's official website before booking: you might discover a temporary promotion or a fare reserved for your traveler profile.

Conclusion

By 2025, airfare prices are changing faster than ever: there is no longer a “magic formula” for finding a cheap flight.

The key remains the same: flexibility, comparison and vigilance .

By combining several comparison sites, activating price alerts and keeping an eye out for temporary offers, you will greatly increase your chances of traveling at the best price — to Thailand or any other destination.

See also:

Transport in Thailand, getting around the land of smiles

If you also have tips for finding cheap flights, you can share them in the comments below: