If there is only one tool that you should use, it will be Google Flights. There are harder, advanced ways to find even cheaper flights but this guide shows you the easiest methods. It always pay to plan in advance and have a little flexibility with your travel dates and destinations.
Once you are in Google Flights, set your departing city and leave the destination empty. It is much easier to use a computer instead of a mobile device. You will see a map view where you can set your budget and you will be presented with a list of destinations that you can visit with that price.
Target region
You can zoom in to a specific region for a clearer view. In the example below, I have searched for round trip flights under $200 over the weekend in November 2019. It shows that I can fly as far as Hanoi or Hong Kong!
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Filter your results
I don’t know about you but I prefer better airlines when flying long haul. I have bookmarked a Google Flights URL that excludes all airlines that I personally would not like to fly long haul with, especially in Economy Class. This is my goto link whenever I want to look for a long-haul flight. Looking at the following example, you will find that S$900 gives you a choice of 5 continents to visit! On good airlines too.
What if flights are expensive on the dates that you want to fly?
Well, you have 2 choices. Suck it up and pay the price, or…
Put the ball back in your court and position yourself to a nearby city. My favourites are KUL, BKK, CGK, SGN, MNL and HKG. These cities are usually very cheap to fly to from Singapore. Even after taking the cost of your positioning flight into account, you can end up with some serious savings!
Setting an alert
It pays to plan ahead, especially if you have fixed travel dates. You are able to track your search results and Google Flights will drop you an email when there is a price drop. Simple as that!
Premium cabins
This is where it gets fun. Just by positioning yourself to a nearby city, you can fly round trip to Europe in Premium Economy in Condor for $1,075, Business Class in Etihad for $2,300 and First Class in Etihad for $4,800!