Travel expert reveals his top tips for booking cheap international flights – and timing is everything

Want to secure a cheap flight for your next holiday? Read on.

Los Angeles travel expert Geoffrey Fuller has revealed his top tips for getting the cheapest flights. All of his recommended travel services are free to use.

Before revealing his specialty apps and websites, he says that “the first step is always to start with Google Flights, the gold standard for searching most airlines and routes.”

He explains his reasoning in a letter to his wife Emily Schuman. subpile ‘Fwd: from a friend’: ‘With the exception of a few airlines, you’ll find the best options for both domestic and international flights.’

Geoffrey then notes that timing can have a big impact on the type of deals available.

If you are booking an award flight, he says it is best to do so 11 or 2 months before your trip.

This is because both windows “typically have the best rewards availability and best redemption rates.”

However, he adds that “airlines often have seasonal promotions, so it’s crucial to use search tools that cover all dates.”

He continues his roundup of cheap flights and lists his favorite “freemium” travel services, ranked from “best” to “okay.”

At the top of his list is the site Seats.aero, which ‘helps frequent flyers and travel enthusiasts find the best business class and first class seats using their airline miles/points.’

The biggest selling point of this free-to-use site, says Geoffrey, is the fact that it offers “very fast (i.e. real-time) results from many airlines and award programs, allowing you to find reliable availability and searches in multiple regions.”

The second site on his list is PointsYeah, which he describes as “a versatile and free award travel search tool that has quickly become popular among points and miles enthusiasts.”

In addition to free, real-time searches for award flights, this website also displays the availability of hotel awards.

The second site on his list is PointsYeah, which he describes as “a versatile and free award travel search tool that has quickly become popular among points and miles enthusiasts.”

The third favorite tool for bargain hunters is the Points Path Browser Extension.

He explains how this works: ‘The extension integrates with popular travel booking sites and provides users with real-time information on points availability and redemption options.

“If you’re always wondering whether to use points or pay for a ticket, this extension makes it very clear and simple.”

The fourth site Geoffrey supports is Thrifty Traveler, which he notes is also available as a newsletter.

According to him, the three biggest advantages of this company are its “reliability,” daily emails “based on your set preferences” and “well-researched award travel offers that might be missed in a normal search.”

The penultimate site on the list is Roame.travel. According to Geoffrey, this site is ‘designed to help people discover unique travel experiences and destinations.’

The third favorite bargain hunter tool for globetrotters is the Points Path Browser Extension

In addition to a ‘clear interface’ and expertly compiled tips, he also praises the ‘nice composition of redeemable awards based on your departure city and travel dates’.

Geoffrey says the Point.me platform is worth checking out if you’re looking for a cheap flight.

The main selling point is that you can ‘centralize all your award points, from both airlines and credit cards, on one site.’

You can also ‘track almost every airline and import data from all major credit cards, including some smaller ones like Brex and Bilt.’

His wife Emily supports Geoffrey’s talent as a cheap flight broker, writing in the introduction: ‘G and I have been together for 17 years and he has planned every trip down to the last detail.

‘Not only does he track down all the must-see places and arrange reservations, he also finds the best travel deals.

‘He is an obsessive researcher and uses specific newsletters, websites and browser extensions.’