People ask us all the time: "Where should I actually search for flights?" And the honest answer is... it depends. But after years of testing every tool obsessively, here's what our team actually uses day-to-day. No affiliate nonsense. Just honest opinions.
Google Flights: Our Daily Driver
Google Flights is the best flight search tool for most people. Full stop. Here's why:
- Price tracking with email alerts (free)
- Calendar view shows cheapest dates at a glance
- "Explore" feature for flexible destination searches
- Accurate pricing (what you see is usually what you pay)
- Includes basic economy fares that some tools hide
We use Google Flights as our starting point for every single deal we investigate. The date flexibility grid and price graph are unmatched. If you're not using the "Any dates" feature with the map view, you're missing the best way to find cheap flights from your home airport.
Skyscanner: The International Specialist
Skyscanner wins for international searches and finding weird routing options Google misses. Their "Everywhere" search is great for inspiration, and they include budget carriers (like Ryanair in Europe) that Google sometimes underrepresents.
Where Skyscanner falls short: sometimes the prices shown are from sketchy OTAs (online travel agencies) that'll hit you with hidden fees at checkout. Always cross-reference with the airline's direct site before booking through a third party.
We use Skyscanner specifically for: multi-city international trips, finding routes on smaller carriers, and double-checking Google Flights results.
Booking Direct: When It Matters Most
Here's the thing our team learned the hard way: always book directly with the airline when possible. Why?
- 24-hour cancellation rule is guaranteed
- Changes and cancellations are easier
- Airline loyalty programs credit properly
- If something goes wrong, the airline will help you (OTAs won't)
- Sometimes airlines have exclusive direct-only fares
The exception: Southwest doesn't show on Google Flights or Skyscanner at all. You have to check southwest.com separately. We factor this into every deal search.
What About Hopper, Kayak, Momondo?
- Hopper: Good price predictions but pushes their own "finalized" bookings too aggressively. We don't trust their "book now" recommendations.
- Kayak: Solid search engine, slightly slower than Google Flights. Good for fare alerts.
- Momondo: Owned by Kayak, similar results. Used to be better for finding hidden fares but Google caught up.
Our Actual Workflow
1. Check Google Flights first (map explore + date grid) 2. Cross-reference with Skyscanner for international 3. Check Southwest directly (they're invisible elsewhere) 4. Book on the airline's website (not a third party) 5. Set Google Flights alerts for routes we're watching
This is exactly what our deal team does before pushing alerts to your member dashboard. We've already done the searching so you don't have to.
Sign up for Early Bird Air and let us do the obsessive searching for you. Or check our pricing page to see which tier fits your travel style.