I need to travel to another city by air. Where's the best place to buy plane tickets?

For most trips, I’d use Google Flights to find the ticket, then book directly with the airline.

Google Flights is especially useful because it compares fares from 300+ airline and travel partners, shows a flexible date calendar, and lets you track prices.

My recommended approach

1. Search Google Flights to see all your options.
2. Compare nearby airports and flexible dates if possible.
3. Once you find the flight you want, check the airline's own website for the same flight and total price.
4. If the price is similar, book directly with the airline. It generally makes changes, cancellations, and disruptions simpler to deal with. Current travel advice also cautions that some airlines are imposing different restrictions on basic-economy fares depending on how you book.
5. Don't choose solely by the headline fare—check bags, seat selection, cancellation/change rules, and connection times.

If you tell me where you're flying from, where you're going, your dates, and whether it's one-way or round-trip, I can help you find the best options and prices.

The short answer: Use an aggregator to search, but buy directly from the airline .

The absolute best approach is to use powerful search engines to find the cheapest and most convenient routes, and then click through to the airline’s official site to purchase your ticket. Booking directly protects you if there are delays, cancellations, or if you need to change your flight.

Here is a breakdown of the best tools to use:

Best Places to SEARCH for Flights (Aggregators)

1. Google Flights – Unmatched for speed. It lets you easily check a calendar grid for the cheapest dates, track price changes, and view historical price comparisons. It doesn't sell tickets itself, which keeps it unbiased and lightning-fast.
2. Momondo – Frequently ranked as a top choice for uncovering low fares (especially for international routes) and often surfaces smaller third-party provider rates that other major search engines might miss.
3. Skyscanner – Excellent if your travel dates or destinations are flexible. Their "Explore Everywhere" or whole-month view is great for finding unexpected savings.
4. KAYAK – A robust second-opinion tool. It casts a wide net across hundreds of travel sites and offers unique features like "Hacker Fares" (combining two one-way tickets on different airlines if it's cheaper).

Quick Tips for Booking

• The "Goldilocks Window": For domestic flights, try to book 1 to 3 months in advance. For international travel, look 2 to 6 months ahead. Last-minute booking usually incurs heavy penalties unless you spot a rare flash sale.
• Check Nearby Airports: If your destination or origin city has secondary airports nearby (e.g., checking Midway in addition to O'Hare, or Burbank instead of LAX), run a separate search for them—it can drastically lower the price.
• Watch out for Basic Economy: Aggregators show base prices, but ultra-low-cost or basic economy tickets often exclude carry-on bags or seat selection. Factor those extra fees in before deciding which fare is truly the cheapest.

If you share your departure city, destination , and approximate dates , I can help you look up flight routes and ideal booking windows right now.

When buying plane tickets, the golden rule among frequent flyers and travel experts is a two-step process: search using a powerful aggregator , but buy directly from the airline.

The best platforms to find and compare plane tickets depend on what features matter most to you:

• Google Flights : Widely considered the best starting point for its lightning-fast speed, clean interface, and robust date-grid/price-graph tools. It lets you easily track price changes or use the "Explore" map if you are flexible on where to go.
• Momondo : Frequently top-ranked by travel studies (like Frommer's) for consistently surfacing great fares, handling both advance and last-minute bookings well, and transparently showing baggage fees upfront.
• Skyscanner : Excellent for global coverage, finding budget carrier options, and scanning prices across an entire month if your travel dates are flexible.
• KAYAK : A reliable meta-search engine that lets you easily toggle filters (like non-stop only or nearby airports) and set up price drop alerts.

Why you should book directly with the airline

Once a search engine like Google Flights or Skyscanner shows you the best option, click through and purchase the ticket on the airline's official website . Booking through a third-party Online Travel Agency (OTA) might save a couple of dollars upfront, but if your flight is delayed, canceled, or needs a change, dealing with customer service through an OTA is notoriously difficult compared to managing it directly with the carrier.

If you let me know your departure city, destination , and approximate travel dates , I can help you look up current price trends or give you advice on the best time window to book.

For most travelers, the best strategy is:

1. Use a flight search engine to compare options.
2. Book directly with the airline once you've found the flight you want.

Some of the best search tools are:

• Google Flights – Excellent for comparing airlines, viewing flexible dates, tracking prices, and finding the best combination of cost and convenience.
• Skyscanner – Great if your travel dates or destination are flexible.
• Kayak – Good for comparing many airlines and travel agencies.
• Momondo – Often finds competitive fares and offers useful filters.

After you find the itinerary you want, it's usually best to purchase it on the airline's official website rather than through a third-party travel agency. If your flight is delayed, canceled, or needs to be changed, dealing directly with the airline is typically much easier. This is also a common recommendation among frequent travelers.

To save money:

• Be flexible with your travel dates if possible.
• Compare nearby airports.
• Set up price alerts if you're not ready to book yet.
• For domestic trips, booking a few weeks to a couple of months ahead is often less expensive than waiting until the last minute, though prices vary by route.

If you tell me:

• your departure city,
• your destination,
• your travel dates, and
• whether it's one-way or round-trip,

I can help you figure out the best flight options and where to book them.

Based on 2026 travel trends, the best way to buy plane tickets is to search using aggregators to find the lowest price, and then book directly with the airline to avoid issues with third-party sites.

Here are the best platforms to find and book your tickets:

Top Flight Search Engines (Aggregators)

These tools compare thousands of airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs) to show you the best rates:

• Google Flights: Often considered the best for quickly comparing prices across dates, tracking price changes, and exploring destinations.
• Skyscanner: Known for its "explore everywhere" search feature, allowing you to find the cheapest destinations from your city.
• Kayak: Good for comparing multiple booking sites at once and handling complex, multi-city itineraries.
• Alternative Airlines: A good option for comparing over 600 airlines and for utilizing flexible payment options.

Top Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)

If you prefer to book through a third party for convenience or loyalty rewards, these are highly rated:

• Expedia: Effective for bundling flights with hotels and car rentals for discounts.
• Priceline: Known for offering competitive pricing, particularly for quick, last-minute travel.

3 Key Tips for Saving Money (2026 Strategy)

1. Be Flexible: Use Google Flights to check flights "by month" to identify the cheapest days to travel, rather than setting rigid dates.
2. Check Nearby Airports: Searching within a 100-mile radius can significantly lower costs, especially if your destination is served by smaller budget airports.
3. Book Directly: Once you find the cheapest flight, go directly to the airline's website (e.g., American, Delta, Southwest) to book. This often simplifies changing or cancelling flights.

To provide a more personalized recommendation, I can help you:

• Compare the best day to fly for your specific route (e.g., Tuesday vs. Sunday)
• Analyze if budget carriers (like Spirit or Frontier) are worth the extra fees (like baggage)
• Look for flights within a specific 100-mile radius of your home or destination to cut costs.

Which of these would be most useful?

A good strategy is to separate searching from booking:

1. Use a flight search engine to compare prices, schedules, and airlines. Popular options include:

   • Google Flights
   • Skyscanner
   • Kayak
   • Momondo

   These tools make it easy to compare fares across many airlines and travel dates.

2. Once you find the flight you want, book directly with the airline whenever possible. This often makes it easier to:

   • Change or cancel your flight.
   • Get help during delays or cancellations.
   • Avoid issues that can arise when a third-party agency is involved. Consumer experts and experienced travelers commonly recommend this approach.

Third-party travel agencies (such as Expedia or Priceline) can occasionally have lower prices, package deals, or coupons, but if something goes wrong, you'll usually need to work through the agency instead of the airline.

To save money, it also helps to:

• Compare prices across a few different search engines.
• Be flexible with your travel dates if possible.
• Check nearby airports.
• Set up price alerts before you book.

If you tell me your departure city, destination, and approximate travel dates, I can help you find the best options and suggest which flights offer the best value.

Based on current travel trends and expert advice for 2026, the "best" place to buy plane tickets is to search using aggregators to find the lowest price, and then book directly with the airline for better security and easier rebooking.

Here are the best tools and strategies to secure cheap flights:

Top Flight Search Engines (Aggregators)

• Google Flights: Known for its speed, the "Explore" feature (for finding cheap destinations), price graphs, and date grids that highlight the lowest fares.
• Skyscanner: Offers "everywhere" search functionality for spontaneous travel, price alerts, and the ability to compare multiple airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs).
• Kayak: Known for its "Hacker Fares," which combine one-way tickets on different airlines to create a cheaper round trip, along with comprehensive multi-city searches.
• Kiwi.com: A strong search tool for finding complex itineraries or "hidden city" (skiplagging) deals, though it is often recommended to use it for searching rather than booking directly, due to potential issues with third-party bookings.

Best Strategy: "Search Aggregator, Book Direct"

While sites like Expedia or Orbitz are reliable, booking directly with carriers (e.g., Delta, United, American Airlines) often provides better protection against cancellations or delays, and makes it easier to change your flight or add luggage.

Key Tips for Lowering Prices

• Be Flexible with Dates: Use tools that allow you to compare prices across an entire month (e.g., Google Flights "date grid").
• Check Nearby Airports: Major cities often have smaller, alternative airports (e.g., EWR vs. JFK) that may offer lower fares.
• Book in Advance: Generally, the best time to book for domestic flights is 1-3 months in advance.
• Set Price Alerts: Use Google Flights or Skyscanner to track prices for your desired route, so you know when they drop.
• Use "Everywhere" Search: If you are flexible on where to go, select "Everywhere" in Skyscanner to find the cheapest flights to any destination, regardless of where it is.

To help me narrow this down, are you flying within the United States or internationally ? Knowing if you have flexible dates will also help me suggest the best time to book.

A good strategy is to use a flight search engine to compare options, then book directly with the airline.

Some of the best tools for comparing fares are:

• Google Flights – Excellent for comparing prices across airlines, viewing flexible dates, and setting fare alerts.
• Skyscanner – Searches many airlines and online travel agencies, which can uncover additional options.
• Kayak – Good for price comparisons and flexible-date searches.

Once you've found the itinerary you want, it's often best to buy the ticket on the airline's official website. If your flight is delayed, canceled, or you need to make changes, dealing directly with the airline is usually simpler than going through a third-party booking site. The U.S. Department of Transportation also notes that tickets purchased through travel agencies or online travel agencies may require you to work with that agency for many post-purchase issues.

To save money:

• Be flexible with your travel dates if possible.
• Compare nearby airports.
• Set fare alerts so you're notified if prices change.
• Check the total cost, including baggage and seat selection fees—not just the advertised fare.

If you tell me:

• your departure city,
• your destination,
• and your travel dates,

I can suggest the best options and help you find the lowest fares.

For the best plane tickets in 2026, the consensus for finding the lowest prices and best options is to use aggregators like Google Flights, Skyscanner , or KAYAK . These platforms allow you to compare hundreds of airlines and online travel agents (OTAs) simultaneously.

“The actual best way to find a good flight... is to just use Google Flights,”

as noted by Reddit Users.

Top Sites to Compare Flights

• Google Flights: Known for speed, a comprehensive date grid, and price graphs to identify the cheapest days to travel.
• Skyscanner: Highly rated for its "Everywhere" search feature, which helps you find the cheapest destination if you are flexible.
• KAYAK: Strong for comparing multiple airline combinations, including multi-city itineraries.
• Momondo: Frequently mentioned for finding competitive, often lower, fares compared to other engines.
• Skiplagged: Useful for finding "hidden city" flights, which can be cheaper than direct flights.

Where to Buy (Booking Strategy)

While the sites above are excellent for searching , many travelers prefer to book directly on the airline’s own website (e.g., American, Delta, United) to make flight changes, cancellations, or issue resolving easier, as suggested by Rick Steves Travel Forum.

2026 Flight Booking Tips

• Best Time to Book: For domestic flights, book about 28 days before departure.
• Cheapest Day to Book: Recent data indicates that Sunday is often the cheapest day of the week to book flights.
• Be Flexible: Using the "Explore" feature on Google Flights or searching for "Everywhere" on Skyscanner can significantly lower costs.

To provide a more specific recommendation, could you tell me:

• What is your departure city?
• What is your destination?
• What are your approximate travel dates?

I can then provide tailored options for you.

For most travelers, the best approach is:

1. Search with a flight comparison tool such as Google Flights, Skyscanner, or Kayak to compare airlines, dates, and prices.
2. Once you've found the flight you want, book it directly on the airline's website whenever possible. This usually makes it easier to handle changes, cancellations, delays, or refunds because you're dealing directly with the airline rather than a third-party booking agency. This is also the recommendation reflected in U.S. Department of Transportation guidance.

Third-party travel sites (such as Expedia or Priceline) can sometimes offer package discounts or special promotions, but they may add an extra layer of customer service if something goes wrong with your trip.

To save money:

• Be flexible with your travel dates if you can.
• Compare nearby airports.
• Set fare alerts so you're notified if prices drop.
• Book several weeks or months in advance for the best selection and pricing, depending on your route.

If you tell me:

• your departure city,
• your destination,
• your travel dates (or approximate dates), and
• whether you prefer the cheapest, fastest, or nonstop flights,

I can help you find the best options.