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Finding great travel deals is a skill, but it’s one that can be honed—if you know where to source a bargain, can be patient and flexible, and if you know you can take advantage of the 24-hour free federal cancelation policy to lock in a time-sensitive opportunity. Some of the hottest tricks people have been using lately to save on their travels are websites that let you buy other people’s non-refundable vacations, from flights to hotels to cruises. If this sounds like your vibe, buckle up.
Here are some of the best travel websites you can use to snag your next trip on the cheap.
I expect most people to know this one, but I have to start the list somewhere. For those who might not know, Google Flights has an “explore” tool where you see a map of your potential destinations from your local airport and their prices. This is great when you don’t have a specific destination in mind but want to get away and see where you could potentially travel to. You can scroll through the planet and find some bargains that you might’ve never seen otherwise.
Quick tip: If you have a budget, use the filters on the top left to set it and see where you can afford to travel to around the world.
Use Skyscanner to find the cheapest flights
Yes, Google Flights is more user-friendly and has cool features, but if you mean business and are looking for the cheapest flight options you can find, Skyscanner is what you want to use. Here, you’ll find flights that will not even appear on Google Flights, and it even has an explore-like tool similar to Google’s where you simply input your local airport, select “whole month” for dates, and click “search” to find all the possible low-cost destinations for that month (I found a direct flight to Cancun from my home in Atlanta for $183).
You can catch last-minute flight deals and set alerts for cheap flights as well.
Shop second-hand vacation packages from people who can’t get refunds
Imagine you buy a whole package deal for a family vacation months in advance but, like most people, you forego the travel insurance. You have a family emergency and can no longer take the trip. What can you do? Sell your vacation on the internet.
Websites like Sparefare, Roomer, Plans Change, and Transfer Travel let you buy other people’s vacations that they can no longer use themselves. You can both save money and get these people out of a sticky situation. Here’s a quick breakdown of your options:
TransferTravel
TransferTravel is like the Facebook Marketplace of travel plans. You can find anything from cruises, to flights, to hotels, events, and more. It’s the most wide-ranging of all of these websites that offer transferable travel products.
SpareFare
SpareFare focuses on flight tickets or vouchers, hotel reservations, and holiday packages. You’ll be connected directly with the seller to get their non-refundable bookings. SpareFare also helps you manage the name change process for airline tickets, which can get a bit complicated if you do it by yourself.
Roomer
If you’re focusing on finding hotels at a bargain, use Roomer. The website focuses on showing you non-refundable bookings from people desperately trying to recoup any money they can. You can find hotels from all over the world and filter by number of occupants, dates, and location. You might not always find something available where you’re staying, but if you do, you’ll be a happy camper.
What do you think so far?
PlansChange
PlansChange is exactly like Roomer, but it’s smaller in scope and reach. It doesn’t hurt to check both when you find yourself looking for a bargain stay.
Use SecretFlying to set up alerts for their “Error Fares”
Airlines make mistakes sometimes, and as a savvy traveler, you need to be ready to take advantage of them when you can. SecretFlying is a travel deal website that works like many others, but it also has a special tool to find cheap flights that exist because of mistakes that airlines make. (For example, there was an enticing Chicago to London round-trip for only $58 last month.) The error fares go fast, and many might not logistically work for you, but if you ever do catch one of these, you’ll be bragging about it for years to come.
Use the Travel Arrow extension
If you’re still only using Google Flights to do your searching, you could be missing out on some cheaper options. Travel Arrow is an extension you can install on your browser that will cross-reference your Google Flight info on Skyscanner, Kayak, Trip, and Expedia (all the major competitors to Google Flights). While it doesn’t always work, it’s a free tool that will more than pay for itself if you ever end up booking a cheaper flight with it. Keep in mind that some flights might be cheaper because their layovers are longer.
Use these online vacation package websites
There are many websites that sell you travel packages that include flights, hotels, food, tours, and even transportation (rails, buses, taxis, etc.) for much cheaper than you would find if you tried to book each piece individually. The catch is that these packages are typically strict on dates, and their cancellation policies are often less forgiving. But you’ll be able to find amazing deals at locations you might not otherwise be able to afford.
Gate1, for example, has been around since the ’80s—my mom has used it with my dad to visit the eight wonders of the world on a budget over the years. Their best deals come from their weekly specials (you can sign up for their emails) and last-minute deals where you can find multi-day trips for big discounts.
For example, you can do a 13-day Thailand trip for $2,249 with all this included:
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Roundtrip flights Los Angeles to Bangkok, or Bangkok to Los Angeles
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Intra-flight Chiang Mai to Bangkok
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11 nights First Class accommodations
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Hotel taxes, fees, service charges, and porterage
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18 meals: 11 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners
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Sightseeing per itinerary in modern air-conditioned motor coach
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Services of English-speaking tour manager throughout
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Entrance fees per itinerary
Here are some other websites similar to Gate1 where you can find great deals on packages for your next trip:
