How to Get Cheap Flights With a VPN: Budget Travel in 2025

Airlines charge different prices for the same flight based on where you book from. This means travelers in high-income countries often pay premium rates, while those booking from regions like Southeast Asia or South America see much lower fares.

Using a VPN to check flight prices from multiple locations can save you hundreds on airfare. By changing your virtual location and clearing your digital footprint, you can access deals you wouldn’t normally get. Premium VPNs also secure your personal and payment information when booking on public WiFi.

How to Get Cheap Flights: Ultimate Guide for 2025

A VPN helps you find better flight deals by connecting you to a secure server in a different region, where prices may be different. Traditional booking strategies are less technically involved, but they can also maximize your savings. Here's my comprehensive guide combining both approaches for the best possible fares:

1. Use a VPN

To get the cheapest flight with a VPN:

1. Install the VPN. Connect to a server in your current location to investigate prices without revealing your online identity or activity.
2. Note the initial flight price. Now clear your digital footprints (cookies, cache, browsing history) to prevent price manipulation based on your search habits.
3. Switch to a server in a favorable country. Now, choose a server in a country where prices may be more affordable (e.g., where the airline is located).
4. Compare the prices of different countries. Choose the cheapest. Ensure your VPN is connected to that country before continuing, and clear your cookies and cache again.
5. Finalize your booking. Pay the reduced fee and get ready to fly!

Can you use a free VPN for cheap flights? Maybe, but it’s not recommended. Free VPNs can pose serious security risks, as well as having slow speeds and limited server locations. Many don’t offer servers in countries with cheap flights, and even if they do, they’re often laggy and slow.

2. Clear Cookies and Go Incognito

Open an incognito window and clear your browser cookies to prevent airlines from tracking your searches. Airlines often increase prices when they see repeated searches for the same route. Using incognito or private mode on your browser with a VPN gives you a fresh start each time you search, showing you the true base fare without artificial inflation.

I recommend clearing your cookies often, especially when revisiting booking sites and changing locations

3. Check Flight Comparison Sites

Compare prices across multiple sites while connected to different VPN locations. Start with servers in Malaysia, Thailand, and Brazil, where flights are typically cheaper. Consider currency conversion rates — sometimes, paying in a different currency can save money even after exchange fees.

Some of my favorite flight comparison sites include Skyscanner, Kayak, and Expedia. They’re easy to use; just enter the details of when and where you’re flying, and you’ll be presented with fares. This lets you compare prices, layover times, stops, etc.

Other popular sites to check out:

• Thrifty Nomads. Always on the hunt for the latest deals, tips, and tricks for traveling on the cheap.
• Kiwi. Its user-friendly map feature lets you compare fares between different destinations around the world.
• Momondo. It searches a massive database of fares and almost always finds the lowest price.
• Going Flights. A useful error-fare and sale locator (see tip 11).
• CheapOair. This flight comparison site sometimes offers promo codes for even greater savings.
• aviasales. Unlike many search engines, this one also includes budget airlines.
• Cheap Flight Finder. Compares fares offered on comparison sites. Using this, you can see flights available on most of the above-mentioned comparison sites, which is super convenient.
• Citizen Seven. This site makes a virtue of layovers by making them a standout feature of your trip.

If you’re a frequent flier, you may also consider a subscription service like Mighty Travels Premium. You have to pay a fee upfront (although a 14-day free trial is available), but it can save you a fortune over time.

4. Check Budget Airline Routes

Look beyond major carriers to find significant savings on budget airlines. These airlines often offer dramatically lower base fares but charge extra for baggage and amenities. Connect to VPN servers in their home countries to find special regional promotions and deals.

It also pays to fly on the same routes as budget airlines, even if you’d prefer to use a major carrier. According to an article published in the Journal of the Air Transport Research Society, fares on full-service carriers are approximately 11% lower when they’re competing with a low-cost carrier¹.

5. Be Flexible on Times, Dates, and Destinations

Search across multiple dates and nearby airports to find the best deals. Mid-week flights and early morning or late-night departures are usually cheaper. Consider flying into alternative airports and using ground transportation to reach your final destination.

Skyscanner color-codes your prices — Green = cheap, amber = moderate, red = expensive

6. Know When to Book

Timing your purchase is crucial for getting the lowest fares. Book international flights 3 to 6 months ahead and domestic flights 1 to 3 months in advance. Use a VPN to check prices daily, as airlines often adjust fares based on demand and competition.

Remember that airlines regularly offer major discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You can also often find deals on or around regional holidays, like Blue Monday. This is where a VPN comes in handy, as you’ll be able to check for deals across different time zones on promotional days.

7. Buy Tickets Individually

Compare prices for single tickets versus group bookings. Airlines typically show the highest fare category when booking multiple seats. Purchasing tickets individually through different VPN servers might uncover better rates.

8. Use Airline Booking Ploys

Take advantage of airline pricing strategies to save money. Use a VPN to check student, senior, and corporate discounts available in different regions.

Be careful with this strategy, as it can have repercussions

Throwaway tickets can also work out considerably cheaper. With a throwaway ticket, you may get a cheaper fare on a round-trip compared to one-way, and you simply don’t board the second booking.

However, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, multi-city or “open-jaw” tickets are cheaper. This is where your return flight leaves from a different airport than the one you arrived at.

Alternatively, hidden city ticketing takes advantage of flights often being cheaper when a layover is involved — you book a flight with a layover at your chosen destination and don’t board the second leg. However, if you do this, users recommend not checking a bag, as you may not be able to retrieve it at the “layover” destination!

9. Use Loyalty Programs and Points to Fly for Free

Maximize loyalty programs and credit card rewards for free flights. Here’s where a VPN can really help, as sometimes, airlines can offer better points redemption rates in certain countries. This will help you to get the best all-round deal possible. Look for special promotions and transfer bonuses between programs.

Also, consider signing up for an airline loyalty program if you’re a frequent flier, even if they don’t offer free flights. Some airlines offer perks like giving you advanced access to sales, newly released dates on their schedule, or even free checked luggage if you fly a certain amount of times each year. This can help you reduce the overall cost of your flight.

10. Plan Your Own Layover

Create your own connections to save on long-haul flights. Book separate tickets on different airlines using a VPN to find the best regional deals. Just remember to leave enough time to transfer and to collect and recheck baggage if you’re not traveling light.

11. Look for Error Fares

You can find error fares on social media, forums, and websites like Secret Flying. These are mistakes resulting in incredibly low prices. It’s helpful to bookmark a few of these pages to ensure you’ll never miss a deal.

When you spot an error fare, it’s best to act immediately, as companies catch these mistakes quickly. It’s possible that after booking, your flight is canceled and refunded due to the error being caught before takeoff.

I check Secret Flying daily to ensure I don’t miss out on the latest errors — it takes seconds

12. Sign Up for Price Alerts

Set up fare alerts on multiple booking sites using different regional settings. Connect to various VPN servers to create alerts in different currencies and from different departure cities. This helps you spot price drops and special offers quickly.

You may also want to pay attention to the news. Alternative Airlines reports that 30–40% of flight operating costs come from fuel expenses², so if there’s a sudden drop in the price of fuel, you may be able to secure a cheaper ticket.

Community Advice: How to Get Cheap Flights According to Reddit & Social Media

Reddit and other frequent flier forums offer a ton of advice for finding cheap flights with a VPN. Here are some additional strategies you can use during your search:

• Familiarize yourself with the route. We agree with Redditors here — you can’t spot a good deal if you don’t know what it looks like. If you’ve got time before you need to book your flight, look at the average cost of the route so you can see what a typical saving would look like, and spot when agents are touting “deals” that offer no saving at all.
• Use Google Flights. Users recommend this instead of Skyscanner to avoid paid-for listings from less reputable travel agents. However, bear in mind that Google Flights may not include every airline.
• Book positioning flights. These are bookings where an airline is moving a plane from one hub to another and not servicing a particular route. They can often be cheaper than a routine flight, particularly for international travel.
• Book directly. Users on the MoneySavingExpert forum recommend avoiding third-party agents as the cost to change any part of the booking can be expensive, which could wipe out any savings you’ve achieved.
• Use airline price guarantees. Some airlines have a policy where they’ll refund you the price difference if you find the same flight on an equivalent airline for cheaper. So, it’s worth still checking flight prices even after you’ve booked. Just remember that these guarantees often have a time limit.

Understanding Airline Pricing Tactics

Airlines use dynamic pricing algorithms that adjust fares based on multiple factors, creating significant price variations for the same flight. Understanding these tactics helps you find better deals:

• Location-based pricing. Airlines show different prices based on your location, which is determined by your IP address. They often charge more to customers from wealthier countries. You may also get better deals if you book from a country where your chosen airline is based.
• Search history tracking. Repeated searches for the same route can trigger price increases as airlines detect your interest.
• Demand fluctuations. Prices change based on local events, holidays, and seasonal trends in different regions.
• Currency differences. Exchange rate variations can create pricing disparities across different countries.

How do airlines and booking sites know where I'm located? They use your IP address, browser cookies, and GPS data (on mobile devices) to determine your location. They also track your search patterns and device information to build a profile for price optimization. This is why using a VPN is advantageous, as it lets you change your online location while also preventing booking sites from tracking your history.

The Most Economical Countries for Booking Flights

Different regions consistently offer better deals on international flights due to local market conditions, competition, and economic factors. Here's where I found the best savings:

The Best VPN Server Locations for Booking Cheap Flights

Connecting to specific VPN locations can lead to significant savings. Based on my testing, these server locations consistently showed lower prices:

• Bangkok, Thailand — Best for Asia-Pacific routes.
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Great for long-haul flights.
• Istanbul, Turkey — Ideal for Europe and Middle East connections.
• São Paulo, Brazil — Good for Americas routes.
• Manila, Philippines — Competitive for transpacific flights.

FAQs on Getting Cheap Flights With a VPN

Does a VPN make flights cheaper?

A VPN can help you find lower flight prices by letting you compare fares from different regions. Airlines often show different prices based on your location, with travelers from wealthy countries typically seeing higher fares. By connecting to VPN servers in regions like Southeast Asia, you can access local pricing that may be 20–40% cheaper. However, the actual savings depend on your route, timing, and departure location.

How else can a VPN help me when I'm traveling?

A VPN protects your sensitive data when using public WiFi at airports and hotels. The VPN’s encryption prevents hackers from intercepting your payment details, passport information, and other personal data. A VPN can also help you avoid harmful ads and phishing scams by blocking malicious domains, which keeps you safe if you’re not fluent in reading the local language.

Is it illegal to use a VPN to find cheap flights?

VPN use is legal for travel research and booking in most jurisdictions. The practice of checking prices from different regions is similar to comparing deals across multiple travel sites. However, you should verify the airline's terms regarding purchase location and payment methods. The key is using VPNs responsibly within established policies.

In addition, VPNs are illegal or heavily restricted in countries like China, Russia, and the UAE, even for something simple like checking flight prices. Always check the law and any applicable regulations before using a VPN, no matter where you are.

Why do currencies fluctuate so much?

Currency exchange rates change constantly due to economic factors, political events, and market speculation. These fluctuations can create significant price differences when booking international flights. A fare priced in a weaker currency might be cheaper, even after conversion fees. Using a VPN to book in different currencies can help you take advantage of favorable exchange rates.

Can I use a free VPN to get cheap flights?

While free VPNs exist, they're unsuitable for secure flight bookings. These services typically lack the server network needed to effectively compare prices across regions. They may also compromise your privacy by selling your data to advertisers. Premium VPNs provide better security features and reliable access to booking sites, making them worth the investment for frequent travelers.

References

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2941198X24000113/
• https://www.alternativeairlines.com/blog/how-airlines-price-flights/