How to Use Airline Fare Calendars to Find the Cheapest Flights

Traveling the world or even taking a weekend getaway is more accessible than ever, but one thing that often holds people back is the cost of flights. While the demand for air travel has been steadily increasing, the good news is that there are many tools and strategies available to help you find the cheapest tickets. One such tool is the airline fare calendar.

Airline fare calendars are an invaluable resource for any traveler who wants to save money while booking flights. These tools allow you to track flight prices over time, compare different dates, and find the best deals. In this guide, we’ll explore how to use airline fare calendars to their fullest potential, helping you get the best deals for your next trip.

What is an Airline Fare Calendar?

An airline fare calendar is an online tool that displays a month’s worth of flight prices for a specific route. This allows you to compare different dates side by side, giving you a clear view of when flights are cheaper and when they’re more expensive. This tool is particularly useful for travelers with flexible schedules, as it lets you choose the best date to book based on the lowest available fares.

Most major airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs) provide fare calendars as part of their flight search tools. Websites like Google Flights, Skyscanner, Kayak, and Momondo also offer this feature, helping you track prices across multiple airlines and booking sites.

How Airline Fare Calendars Work

Airline fare calendars are designed to show you the price trends for a specific flight route over a set period. Here’s how it works:

  1. Selecting Your Route: When using an airline fare calendar, you’ll first input your departure city, destination, and travel dates. You can also add specific filters, such as flight class or preferred airlines.
  2. Viewing the Calendar: Once you’ve entered your information, the tool will display a calendar with prices for each day of the month. Prices are usually color-coded, with cheaper dates marked in green and more expensive days in red or orange.
  3. Adjusting Dates for Savings: If your travel dates are flexible, you can easily see which days offer the best prices. By shifting your trip by a few days or weeks, you might be able to save hundreds of dollars on flights.
  4. Price Alerts: Many booking sites and travel tools, including Kayak, Skyscanner, and Google Flights, allow you to set price alerts. This means you’ll be notified when the price for a particular route drops, ensuring you don’t miss out on a deal.

Why Use an Airline Fare Calendar?

The primary reason to use an airline fare calendar is to save money. However, there are several other benefits to using this tool:

  1. Price Comparison Across Airlines: Fare calendars give you the ability to compare prices from multiple airlines at once. This is extremely helpful for finding the best deals. Booking sites like Expedia and Booking.com can show you fares across different airlines, but the calendar view makes it easy to compare side-by-side.
  2. Flexibility: Airline fare calendars are ideal for those with flexible travel plans. If you have some flexibility in your travel dates, the calendar will highlight the least expensive days to fly, giving you more freedom to book at a price that fits your budget.
  3. Easy to Use: Most airline fare calendars are easy to navigate, with intuitive layouts. You can quickly spot when prices are low or high, and with just a few clicks, you can book your ticket.
  4. Advanced Features: Some fare calendars even provide multi-city and round-trip options, allowing you to compare prices for both one-way and return flights. If you want to visit multiple destinations, you can use fare calendars to track the best prices for each leg of your journey.

How to Use Popular Fare Calendar Tools

Here’s a look at some of the most popular booking sites and airline fare calendar tools you can use to find cheap flights:

1. Google Flights

Google Flights is one of the most powerful tools when it comes to searching for cheap flights. The fare calendar feature lets you compare prices over a month, giving you a clear visual representation of when flights are cheaper. Here’s how to use it:

  • Step 1: Visit Google Flights and input your departure and destination cities.
  • Step 2: Select the calendar icon next to your desired travel dates.
  • Step 3: View the calendar with the fare prices highlighted for each day. You can also filter results by price range or airline.
  • Step 4: Set price alerts by toggling the “Track Prices” option.

Google Flights also offers features like flexible dates and cheapest month to help you find even lower fares.

2. Skyscanner

Skyscanner is another top-rated flight search engine with a highly effective fare calendar. Skyscanner’s calendar view lets you compare prices across multiple months, and its “cheapest month” feature will show you when the least expensive times to fly are.

  • Step 1: Go to Skyscanner and input your trip details.
  • Step 2: Click on the “Whole Month” option in the calendar view.
  • Step 3: View your fare options for each day of the month. You’ll see a color-coded calendar that shows the cheapest days in green and the more expensive ones in red.
  • Step 4: Set up price alerts to receive notifications for price changes.

Skyscanner also features a price alert feature, which can help you track when the prices drop.

3. Kayak

Kayak offers a sleek, user-friendly interface with a flexible dates feature. You can also explore Kayak Explore, which suggests destinations based on your budget.

  • Step 1: Visit Kayak and enter your travel details.
  • Step 2: Click on the “Flexible Dates” option to view the cheapest options over the next few months.
  • Step 3: The calendar will show price trends for every day, making it easy to see when flights are cheaper.
  • Step 4: Kayak also offers Price Alerts, so you can monitor price fluctuations.

4. Momondo

Momondo’s flight search engine offers an intuitive fare calendar and highlights the cheapest fares in bold green.

  • Step 1: Go to Momondo and input your travel details.
  • Step 2: After you click on “Search,” you’ll be shown a calendar view that allows you to filter by month or day.
  • Step 3: Click on your preferred travel dates to view specific flight options.
  • Step 4: Momondo allows you to sign up for price alerts as well.

Tips for Finding the Best Deals Using Airline Fare Calendars

  1. Be Flexible with Dates: If you have flexible travel dates, you’re much more likely to find cheaper flights. Use the fare calendar to shift your trip by a day or two to find the lowest prices.
  2. Use Price Alerts: Many platforms allow you to set price alerts. These will notify you if the price of your selected route drops, so you don’t have to constantly check back.
  3. Compare Multiple Airlines: Don’t focus on one airline alone. Use fare calendars from multiple booking sites, including Expedia, Kayak, and Google Flights, to compare different airlines and find the best deal.
  4. Book in Advance: Booking flights several weeks or months in advance usually results in lower fares. Try to plan ahead and take advantage of fare calendars to get an overview of the best booking periods.
  5. Check for Hidden Fees: Always check for additional fees (like baggage or seat selection fees) when comparing prices. Sometimes a flight may seem cheaper but could have hidden costs.
  6. Use Alternative Airports: Many cities have multiple airports. Use the fare calendar to check flights from different airports to your destination for more affordable options.

Conclusion

Airline fare calendars are an invaluable tool for travelers looking to find the cheapest flights. By using popular platforms such as Google Flights, Skyscanner, Kayak, and Momondo, you can quickly compare prices across multiple airlines and booking sites to find the best deals. These tools also offer flexible date options, price alerts, and even multi-city itineraries, making it easy to tailor your flight search to your specific needs.

Whether you’re planning a spontaneous getaway or a long-term vacation, using airline fare calendars will help you stay within your budget and find the best flights for your desired destinations. By combining these resources with strategic booking practices, you can easily find affordable flights to your dream destinations. Happy travels!

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