Flight Deal Websites You Can Trust (And Ones to Avoid)

Flight Deal Websites, i’m that person who sets 47 browser tabs for “everywhere” searches at 2 a.m. and wakes up broke but triumphant. but after one too many “$99 europe” sites that turned out to be phishing nightmares, i learned the hard way. here’s the real ones that work (and the garbage to avoid).

The Time I Almost Booked a $99 Flight to Paris (Spoiler: It Was Fake)

2024, googling “cheap flights europe” led me to some site promising $99 fares. entered my card, got a confirmation email, then the airline said “who dis?” lost $50 to a “processing fee” and my dignity. now i only trust these.

Flight Deal Websites You Can Actually Trust

these are the gold standard Flight Deal Websites. i’ve used them for 50+ trips and zero horror stories.

1. Google Flights free, no ads, shows price graphs so you know if it’s dropping. set alerts for your route and it emails you when fares dip. i scored $237 LAX-Bali here. pro: flexible date calendar. con: no booking, just compares.
2. Skyscanner “everywhere” search is magic for inspiration. compares 1000+ sites. their app pings deals. got $89 CHI-AUS last month. pro: hacker fares (mix airlines). con: sometimes pushes hotels too hard.
3. Momondo kayak’s cooler cousin. great for multi-city trips. fare insights show trends. saved $180 on a europe hop. pro: mix & match bookings. con: interface feels dated.
4. Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) $49/year premium alerts for mistake fares. i’ve saved $1,200 this year alone. free version is solid too. pro: curated deals. con: premium paywall for international.
5. Hopper app predicts prices with 95% accuracy. buy/sell signals. nabbed $470 NYC-Paris error fare. pro: gamified alerts. con: pushy with hotels.
6. Airfarewatchdog tripadvisor sister site. daily deals email. caught $99 cross-country on southwest. pro: fare watcher alerts. con: fewer international options.

The Shady Ones to Avoid (I Learned the Hard Way)

these scream scam. red flags: too-good deals, wire payments, no reviews.

1. FlightFareDeals.com fake site with stolen airline logos. promises $50 europe flights. scamadviser rates it 1/100. i dodged it after a reddit horror story. avoid: demands wire transfers.
2. TrustFares reddit calls it phantom pricing. quotes $1,500 for $3,300 united fares, then ghosts. bbb complaints pile up. avoid: no real confirmation numbers.
3. SmartCheapFares phishing emails with “urgent deals.” ftc warns of fake cancellations. one user lost $200 to “fees.” avoid: unknown sender emails.
4. Cheapflights.com (the sketchy clone sites) real one’s fine, but knockoffs like cheapflightsdeals.net steal cards. check url obsessively. avoid: misspelled domains.
5. Craigslist/Kijiji Flight Credits scammers buy with stolen cards, sell “credits” cheap. airline voids them. ftc says it’s a top scam. avoid: off-platform deals.

Quick Survival Rules Flight Deal Websites

• book direct with airline if possible
• use incognito mode + vpn to dodge price hikes
• set alerts on 2-3 sites max
• if it’s under $100 international, it’s probably fake
• bbb + scamadviser your site first

i’ve flown 50 countries on these. total saved: $3k+ in 2025 alone.

which site’s your go-to? drop it below so i can add it to my 2am rotation.

now excuse me while i set another alert and pretend i’m not addicted. send coffee and a $99 europe fare