8 Ways to Score Cheap Flights This Fall

Airlines have taken a massive hit in recent months since the COVID-19 pandemic was first declared, but one of the silver linings, at least for travelers, is that there have never been more opportunities to score cheap flight deals. What's more, flying continues to be among the safest modes of travel with carriers stepping up cleaning procedures, requiring face masks for all employees and passengers and even limiting capacity to allow for physical distancing in many cases. For those ready to take to the skies again this fall, there are a handful of easy routes to significant savings.

The team at Scott's Cheap Flights does all of the hard work for its more than two million members, tracking airfare prices and alerting travelers to the best deals, including mistake fares that quickly come and go but can sometimes carry savings of up to 90 percent.

Google Flights is a great tool to use to track flight prices based on a variety of factors and set alerts for the routes you're targeting. Users can also simply plug in their departure city and leave the destination filter open to find the cheapest places to visit at any given time of the year.

Being flexible with your travel dates and times can be key to saving big on flights and is one way to ensure you'll save every time you book. Look to fly mid-week or on a day when demand is typically much lower, and target early-morning or red-eye flights that are often less appealing to the average traveler.

Low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines is routinely putting flights on sale, usually from as little as $49 one-way and $98 roundtrip. The airline's latest sale runs through October 22 and is valid for travel as far out as March 2021. Head to Southwest.com to start filtering through flight deals based on your departure city, and you're likely to be amazed by the fares you'll find.

If you intend to fly several times a year and want guaranteed savings each time you do then consider signing up for Spirit Airlines' $9 Fare Club. Membership enrollment costs $59.95 and automatically renews each year at $69.95 unless canceled. However, members save an average of $75 per booking through discounts on airfare, baggage and other perks.

Frontier Airlines' Discount Den members have access to the ultra-low-cost carrier's lowest available fares. Just last month, Frontier offered 75 percent savings on these exclusive deals. Travelers can subscribe for $59.99 per year to gain access to cheap flights in addition to other benefits such as Frontier Miles earned on every flight and free flights for kids under age 15 on eligible trips.

Apply for an airline credit card that allows you to earn points and miles on purchases outside of flights, and your daily spending could translate to heavily discounted or even free airfare on your next trip.

One of the easiest ways to save on travel is to put your trip in the hands of a trusted travel advisor who can package your flights with hotel or resort stays and other experiences along the way that will save you a significant amount of money in the end. Working with an advisor also means you'll have someone in your corner in the event that your flights are impacted by something outside of your control.