How to track flight prices, step by step

This is the practical version: exactly what to click, what to enter, and how to judge the emails you get back. If you have never tracked a fare before, ten minutes here will save you a lot of aimless checking later.

Step 1 — Search the route

Enter your departure and arrival airports and your dates. Autocomplete accepts city names and IATA codes, so both “London” and “LHR” work. Choose one-way or return, the number of travellers, and your cabin before searching — fare levels differ sharply between cabins, and tracking economy tells you nothing about business.

Step 2 — Read the live results properly

Results come from several providers at once. Use the tabs to switch between recommended, cheapest, and nonstop, and use the sidebar filters to remove airlines or connection patterns you would not accept. What you want out of this step is a number in your head: the realistic floor for your route today.

Step 3 — Save the route as a price alert

Create the alert and enter the price you would book at. Use the floor you just found as your reference — a target modestly under it is achievable on most routes with a few weeks’ notice, while a target far below it only makes sense if you have months and real flexibility.

Step 4 — Watch more than one option

If your dates can move, add alerts for the alternatives. If a second airport is reachable, add that too. Each extra alert is another chance for a good fare to find you, and they cost nothing to keep.

Step 5 — Decide when the email arrives

Open the matching result and check the full itinerary before continuing: stops, layover length, whether the connection is on one ticket, arrival time, and what the fare includes. If it holds up, continue to the booking partner and complete it there — they confirm the final price. If the fare has already moved, keep the alert running; routes that dip once often dip again.

For the reasoning behind all of this, see how airfare pricing behaves, or read which days tend to be cheapest to fly.