March 26, 2025

Secrets to Finding Cheap Flights and Avoiding Fees, Straight from Scott’s Cheap Flights

37 minutes

Learn when to book flights, how to spot mistake fares, and ways to use lesser-known tips like booking stopovers and tapping into rideshare rewards.

When is the best time to book a cheap flight? Do budget airlines actually save you money after all the fees? Scott Keyes, founder of Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights), joins Smart Travel to talk about how to actually find cheap airfare — including how to time your bookings, when to use points instead of cash, and how to pounce on mistake fares before they disappear. He also busts some of the most persistent airfare myths (spoiler: incognito mode won’t save you money).

But first, Sally and Meghan break down the latest travel headlines, including new perks and price hikes for United Airlines credit cards, changes to the Delta-Lyft partnership, and why JSX credits might actually be worth something. They also share the best deals they’ve ever gotten on airfare and how to use free stopover perks.

Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews:

United Credit Cards Unveil Major Changes: Higher Fees, More Perks

Earn Delta Miles for Uber Rides: New Partnership Replaces Lyft

How to Maximize the United Excursionist Perk

In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: best time to book flights, airfare myths, flight deals, mistake fares, Goldilocks booking window, how to find cheap flights, budget airlines, Spirit Airlines fees, Frontier Airlines fees, JSX flights, United Airlines credit card, United card benefits, airline card perks, United Club card, Lyft Delta partnership ending, Delta Uber miles, Uber SkyMiles, 24-hour flight cancellation rule, booking flights with points, best points for travel, Air Canada Aeroplan dynamic pricing, Flying Blue Air France, travel stopovers, free stopovers, Icelandair stopover, Turkish Airlines hotel stopover, United excursionist perk, multi-city travel, hidden city ticketing, best rewards credit cards for flights, travel credit card updates 2025, how to avoid flight layovers, booking partner airlines, and reselling airline tickets.

In a previous version of this episode, the name of the United Quest card was not mentioned. A line was added for clarity.

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