tips for cheap flights
There is a specific kind of adrenaline that hits when you see a price drop notification on your phone. It’s that "stop what you’re doing and grab your credit card" moment—or maybe that’s just my travel-planning mentality.
For a long time, our family planned trips the traditional way: we’d pick a single dream destination, look up the flights, and then wince at the thousand-per-person price tag. But recently, we changed up our methods. Instead of using our destination to guide us, we let the flight deals dictate our adventure.
That’s how we ended up scoring round-trip tickets to Europe for only $500 per person. Here’s the scoop on how we did it, and how you can too.
Our “destination anywhere” strategy
Most people start with a specific pin on a map. We start with a blank slate. If you’re also a parent tied to a school calendar, you don’t have the luxury of being flexible with when you go, so you have to be flexible with where you go. For our latest trip, our criteria were simple: we wanted a mix of city culture and nature, and we had exactly one week in October.
For this “Destination Anywhere” method, Google Flights is our best friend. On here, you can easily view many flight deals and filter by your needs, dates, and requests. This allows you to compare all options and deals before booking through that airline.
How to Replicate Our Search:
Google Flights Search Menu
To find your own "unicorn" deal, follow this step-by-step process we used on Google Flights:
Set your home airport: Plug in your origin, but leave the destination box completely empty or type “Anywhere.”
Lock your dates: Input your specific travel window (for us, that one week in October).
Filter by stops: We usually filter by “1 stop or fewer” because, let's be honest, traveling with kids and two layovers is a recipe for a complete meltdown.
Scan the map: Look at the price bubbles popping up globally. This is where the magic happens.
Shortlist and Research: On our last search, Colombia, Turkey, and Vienna all popped up as contenders. We weighed the "vibe" of each against the total cost. To determine the best fit for your family based on your needs, use our Trip Vision Guide.
The secret to finding flight deals
During this specific search, a flight to Europe on Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) caught my eye. We realized that SAS offers a significant discount for children aged 2–11. While many domestic airlines charge full price for kids, this international leg slashed the price for our little ones.
Pro Tip: Always check the "Passenger" dropdown. Some international carriers (like SAS or Lufthansa) offer child fares that aren't immediately obvious on third-party search engines.
By following the "Anywhere" strategy, we landed in Copenhagen for a daytime layover (perfect for burning off toddler energy) before heading to our final destination, all for the price of a domestic flight to Florida.