Blog
Notes from the
radar tower.
Short reads on travel prices, the daily digest, and what we’re building next.
Does incognito make flights cheaper? No, and here's why the myth sticks.
Does incognito make flights cheaper? No. Clearing cookies and browsing private doesn't move the fare, and here's what people are actually seeing when they think it does.
Read →Do flight prices drop last minute? The final two weeks, honestly.
Do flight prices drop last minute? Usually no. Here's what fares actually do in the final two weeks, and how often waiting for a late dip backfired on us.
Read →Shoulder season is the quiet discount on airfare
Shoulder season travel means flying a week or two before or after the crowds, often for a fraction of peak fare on a nearly identical trip.
Read →The price of a nonstop: when is it worth paying more?
Are nonstop flights worth it? The honest answer depends on how big the gap is that day, and here's how to size it up before you book.
Read →Why flexible dates beat any coupon
A flexible dates flight search saves more than any promo code, because moving a departure by a day usually beats every booking trick. Here's why the calendar is the real lever.
Read →Is it cheaper to fly from a nearby airport? Do the full math first.
A nearby airport often shows a lower fare, but the drive, parking and transit time can eat the whole saving. Here's how to tell when the smaller airport actually wins.
Read →One-way, round-trip, or two one-ways: which is actually cheaper?
Is it cheaper to book two one-way flights instead of a round-trip? Sometimes, yes. Here's when splitting the ticket wins and the one risk to watch.
Read →How far in advance should you book a flight? What we actually see.
There's no fixed number of days that guarantees the low fare. Here's how far ahead the cheapest price actually tends to land on the routes we watch, and why "book N days out" misses.
Read →The hidden cost of a cheap fare: what the sticker price leaves out
Hidden airline fees for bags, seats and changes mean the sticker price is rarely the price you actually pay. Here's how to read past it.
Read →The cheapest days to fly: is midweek really worth it?
Tuesday and Wednesday flights usually cost less than Saturday ones, but the gap is smaller than the advice makes it sound. Here's when it's worth rearranging a trip.
Read →What a layover is actually worth
A connecting fare is only a deal if the money you save is worth more than the hours you lose. Here's how to do that math before you book.
Read →How much a fare really swings in a week
On most routes, the gap between a fare's high and low inside a single week is bigger than any "best day to book" rule could ever save you.
Read →There is no magic day to book a flight
The Tuesday-midnight rule, the "book 47 days out" rule — they're folklore. Here's what actually moves a fare.
Read →How we pick the three flights that matter
A quick look inside the daily digest — flexible dates, dedupe rules, and why we cap the list at three.
Read →Welcome to Gateway Radar
Why we built a daily email for travel prices, and how it’s different from every alert you’ve muted.
Read →