Numerous travel websites advertise cheap airline tickets, but too many options can be overwhelming and leave you wondering how to find cheap flights that truly are the best available.
GOBankingRates asked travel experts for their tips on the best way to compare flights on 10 of the best travel websites. Check out their advice and discover how to score great flight packages for your next travel adventure.
Airfare Deals From Cheap Flights Sites
If you use travel sites to search flights and find airline tickets, you can do a few things to maximize your savings. For example, clear your browser's cookies or use the search engine's privacy mode, such as Google Chrome's incognito, when you search. Many discount airfare sites use sophisticated software that identifies repeat searches and raises the prices on plane tickets you've shown interest in, said Patti Geroulis, co-founder and blogger at TheTravelSisters.com, which provides travel advice.
Another tip to score cheap plane tickets is to watch for low fare sales or "mistake" fares, Geroulis said. "A good way to do that is to sign up for airline newsletters and email alerts and follow relevant Twitter accounts," Geroulis said.
To help you choose which site to use for your next vacation, here's what experts have to say about 10 popular travel sites.
Find Out: How to Save Money for Vacation From 11 Travel Experts
Kayak
Search by flexible dates: Yes
Search by definite travel dates: Yes
Key features: Multiple destinations option, bundle deals
Geroulis recommended using Kayak's Explore feature to find super-cheap tickets for a variety of destinations. This can be a great find if you're adventurous and willing to go where the cheap airfare takes you.
"If you enter your home airport, maximum price and maximum flight time, [the Explore feature] will generate a map of destinations with prices," Geroulis said. "Even better, you can put in dates or leave dates open."
ITA Matrix
Search by flexible dates: Yes
Search by definite travel dates: Yes
Key feature: Advisories that include "risky connections"
ITA Matrix has a user-friendly, calendar layout and travel planner, said travel author Taryn White, founder of the travel website TravelWishlist.com. "Among the many great features of the ITA Matrix is the ability to search the calendar for low fares and hover over dates to see the various prices for the duration you entered," said White.
"I also use ITA Matrix's one-way searches to see which airlines fly to which destinations and through which connecting cities," White said. "This is one way I determine many of my stopover destinations."
Hipmunk
Search by flexible dates: Yes
Search by definite travel dates: Yes
Key features: Price graph showing lowest fares 90 days out, agony scoring
If you don't like to fly, you might enjoy Hipmunk's feature that finds the least horrible flight options. "Hipmunk has an agony score that combines price, number of stops and duration," said Ben Glaser, features editor at savings website DealNews.com.
"Hipmunk makes it easy to toggle between lowest cost, shortest duration and more," said Jessica Sanders, travel expert at TheHappiestBlogonEarth.com and author of "Disneyland on Any Budget." "You can then book directly through Hipmunk or use that information to book through the airline's website," she said.
SkyScanner
Search by flexible dates: Yes
Search by definite travel dates: Yes
Key feature: Ability to scan entire month to find cheapest round-trip fares
To get the best deals at SkyScanner, utilize two key features, said James Cave, travel expert at Portugalist.com. The feature that lets you search an entire month instead of specific days makes this one of the best websites for cheap flights.
"This is helpful if you know roughly when you want to fly but aren't tied to specific dates," said Cave. "Just choose 'whole month' in the date choice box." The other key feature Cave recommended is the site's ability to let you search by travel destinations -- such as country or city -- instead of just by airports.
Priceline
Search by flexible dates: Yes
Search by definite travel dates: Yes
Key features: Multiple destinations search, bundle deals
You're probably familiar with Priceline.com, but there are a few tricks that you can use to maximize your chances of getting the lowest fare on air travel, said Brigit Zimmerman, Priceline's senior vice president of air and vacation packages. She suggested not waiting until the last minute to book flight and hotel packages and choosing an early or late flight if you're able.
Zimmerman also suggested taking advantage of Priceline's Express Deals, which offer savings of up to 40 percent on popular routes and carriers. And because one-way tickets are often cheaper, a new Priceline feature puts two one-way tickets together so you can save money, said Zimmerman.
Learn: The Best Time to Book Your Travel Plans
CheapFlights
Search by flexible dates: Yes
Search by definite travel dates: Yes
Key feature: Shows cheapest round-trip fares with a variety of dates
CheapFlights offers more than just airfare deals: You can find discounts on cruises, accommodations and entire vacation packages. Check out the Special Offers page, where you'll find deals on all of the above, including a "Hotlist" section.
The site also offers a car rental page featuring all the big players, including Avis, Budget and Europcar. CheapFlights also has a free cancellation policy, which every traveler knows can come in handy.
SmartFares
Search by flexible dates: Yes
Search by definite travel dates: Yes
Key feature: Free cancellation within 12 hours
If you want someone to personally help you with planning a trip, SmartFares could be a good choice. SmartFares employs approximately 600 call center agents who are available 24/7 to answer your questions.
The site also offers live chat, coupon codes for extra savings, and free cancellation within 12 hours if your plans change. Coupons include discounts on family and seniors travel, business class flights, and more.
Expedia
Search by flexible dates: No
Search by definite travel dates: Yes
Key features: Multiple destinations search, bundle deals
If you've booked a cheap flight and had your savings negated by hefty baggage fees, you know how irritating that can be. "Unlike some other sites, Expedia lists baggage fees on the search results instead of just linking to them," said Glaser.
Travel expert and co-founder of BarcelonaEatLocal.com Andre Arriaza likened the Expedia experience to Kayak. It's a great site to find bundle deals, he said. "I like the fact that I can accumulate points, and that beyond flight, accommodation, and car rental, you can purchase activities in your destination," said Arriaza.
Skipplagged
Search by flexible dates: No
Search by definite travel dates: Yes
Key feature: Line graph on search shows when prices rise or fall
The best feature of this site is its ability to find you "hidden city" fares -- flights that are actually legs of other flights -- said Nathan Mizrachi, founder of NewYork2LondonFlights.com, which offers advice on traveling for less money. For instance, you might buy a flight from Los Angeles to New York with a stopover in Chicago -- to get to Chicago. It's often cheaper to book a ticket like that and just deplane in Chicago, said Mizrachi
Related: The Financial Perks of Off-Season Travel
AirfareWatchdog
Search by flexible dates: No
Search by definite travel dates: Yes
Key feature: Searches for lowest fare within next 30 days
AirfareWatchdog gives you the ability to find promo code airfare deals. Those promo codes can offer up to 20 percent or $400 off, said George Hobica, AirfareWatchdog's founder. Hobica takes pride in the fact that the site provides these coupons; he said many others don't offer coupons because they're hard to find and do nothing for a site's bottom line.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: From Expedia to Kayak: The Best Cheap Flights Sites