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One of the biggest barriers to entry when it comes to travel is airfare. It can be prohibitively expensive \u2014 especially in this post-COVID travel boom. <\/p>\n
As anyone who\u2019s spent time searching for flights knows, finding a cheap one can be an arduous and time-consuming task. Unlike other aspects of travel (say, museum entry fees or walking tour prices), flight tickets don\u2019t have a set price. Instead, tickets are volatile and unpredictable. We can\u2019t expect a nonstop journey from NYC to Tokyo to always cost the same amount (though that would be nice!). <\/p>\n
And even if you find an affordable deal, it can be easy to get caught in decision paralysis, questioning whether you should really book it, or if you could find something even cheaper (this is something that happened to me a lot when I first started traveling).<\/p>\n
But this volatility in pricing can actually be used to a traveler\u2019s advantage \u2014 with the right tools.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where Going<\/a> comes in. It’s a tool designed to help you find cheap flights. <\/p>\n Formerly known as Scott\u2019s Cheap Flights, Going<\/a> is a membership-based website and newsletter that finds flight deals<\/a> to over 900 destinations around the world. Most deals are 40-90% off normal prices, meaning members save an average of $550 USD on international economy seats (first-class flyers save $2,000 USD on average).<\/p>\n That’s a huge amount of savings!<\/p>\n Going started back in 2013 when Scott Keyes found an unbelievable deal from NYC to Milan: just $130 USD round-trip. He immediately booked the ticket, went to Italy, and had the time of his life.<\/p>\n When he came back, friends and family kept asking how he found such a great deal. So, he started sending a regular email to friends with the deals he found. By 2015, Scott\u2019s Cheap Flights was born<\/a>. <\/p>\n Many years \u2014 and over two million members \u2014 later, Scott\u2019s Cheap Flights rebranded as Going. Same company, new name. Going encourages its members to take a reverse-booking approach to travel, which means choosing your destination and dates based on the flight deals that are available rather than deciding when and where you want to go and then looking for a bargain. It seems counterintuitive at first, but it means you can find incredible deals if you\u2019re flexible.<\/p>\n I’ve known Scott for years and love what he has done with the company. I think he’s created one of the best tools for finding cheap flights there is. But don’t just take my word for it \u2014 here’s everything you need to know about Going to decide if it’s right for you!<\/p>\n At its core, Going is a membership website, meaning you have to sign up for some sort of plan to access its deals (one of the options is free, and all the plans offer free trials).<\/p>\n After signing up, it\u2019s a super simple process to set up your account and get deals landing in your inbox: <\/p>\n There are three membership tiers: Limited, Premium, and Elite. While Limited is entirely free, you can take advantage of a 14-day free trial of both Premium and Elite before signing up. <\/p>\n New users can also get 20% off Premium with the code NOMADICMATT20.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The tiers break down as follows:<\/p>\n Limited (free):<\/strong><\/p>\n Premium ($49\/year): <\/strong><\/p>\n Elite ($199\/year):<\/strong><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a full breakdown of the plans: <\/p>\n If you\u2019re just looking for the odd flight deal, chances are the Limited plan will suffice for you. However, if you\u2019re looking to travel more and want to really save money, Premium is a must. It has way more perks and offers a lot of value. And if you want deals on booking with points, you’ll need to sign up for the Elite plan as it is the only plan that includes award flight deals. <\/p>\n (If you\u2019re a new user, don’t forget to use the promo code NOMADICMATT20 for 20% off Premium.<\/a>)<\/p>\n Once you pick a plan and sign up, you\u2019ll want to enter your home airport, as well as any additional airports that you might be willing to travel to for a great deal. <\/p>\n While the major benefit of being a member of Going is that you can just sit back, do nothing, and wait for a bargain to show up in your inbox, you can also search the Flight Deals page<\/a>: <\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of what you can see on this page on the Limited Plan vs. the Elite Plan: <\/p>\n The Limited (free plan) view: <\/p>\n The Elite plan view (as you can see, there are hundreds more deals here, and this is filtered for Economy flights only):<\/p>\n It might be surprising to hear, but most of Going\u2019s deals are found by their (human) Flight Experts using a set of criteria to determine what makes for a \u201cdeal.\u201d <\/p>\n That means that they don\u2019t just send you any and every cheap flight, but instead curate a selection of deals. They won\u2019t send you a flight with several long layovers or an overnight layover, and they don\u2019t send deals on budget airlines. <\/p>\n Instead, Going deals consist of nonstop or one-stop flights on full-service airlines with manageable layovers. They also make sure that a deal has at least ten different departure dates, so you\u2019ll never encounter one that requires to you travel on a specific day. In short, they only pick decent flights, which I really appreciate.<\/p>\n On every deal, you\u2019ll see a breakdown with a bit about the flight and destination, as well as sometimes a write-up including helpful tips and information from the Flight Expert who found the deal: <\/p>\n You\u2019ll also see a price history for the flight, so you can see exactly how good of a deal it is. To me, this is super interesting:<\/p>\n Once a deal comes up that you want, all that\u2019s left is to book it. Simply hit the \u201cbook\u201d button on Going, which will then take you to the booking site. Usually it\u2019s Google Flights, but sometimes it might be Skyscanner<\/a> or similar platforms.<\/p>\n As you can see, when you click through, Going has already set all the filters so that the deal it found comes up: <\/p>\n When booking, you\u2019ll want to act fast. Flight prices change all the time, so snag that fare while it still exists. That\u2019s especially the case with mistake fares, as they\u2019re rare and get scooped up or fixed quickly. <\/p>\n Remember, in the US you legally have 24 hours after purchasing a flight to cancel it, so book first and then quickly figure out any required logistics (time off, pet care, etc.), knowing you can cancel within a day if needed. <\/p>\n And that\u2019s all there is to it! <\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong> <\/p>\n Going<\/a> is for travelers who want cheap airfare and can be flexible on dates and destinations in order to get the best deals. Going calls this its \u201creverse-booking\u201d approach.<\/p>\n Going is for people that don\u2019t have the time or inclination to constantly check for cheap fares, and would rather pay a small fee (the $49\/year Premium plan is sufficient for most people) to unlock a world of deals. <\/p>\n Going also works best for travelers who can act quickly once a deal becomes available. While most deals are for travel 2-9 months in the future, since prices change so quickly, you\u2019ll need to be able to book as soon as you get an email alert (but: remember the blanket 24-hour free cancelation policy on all US airlines). <\/p>\n On the flip side, Going is not a tool that will help you find cheap fares to a specific destination for a specific time. (If that\u2019s all you want, simply set up a Google Flights alert for your required dates and destination.) The very nature of the service requires flexibility in order to take advantage of the best deals. <\/p>\n Going is also not for people who would rather spend the time searching for deals themselves rather than pay for a membership. You can find the flights that Going discovers on your own, as they\u2019re publicly available on search engines like Google Flights, Skyscanner, and Kayak. However, that takes (a lot of) time, and one person would never be able to find all the deals that Going\u2019s team of over 50 people can! Even I get tired of searching for flight deals sometimes!<\/p>\n I think Going is a great resource to help budget travelers find incredible flight deals<\/a> all over the world. While you can certainly learn the tips and tricks for doing so on your own, Going saves you the time and energy it takes to look for deals so that you can keep living your life, wait for the perfect one to arrive in your inbox, book it, and get going. <\/p>\n Sign up with promo code NOMADICMATT20 to get 20% off a Premium Plan!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Book Your Flight<\/strong> Book Your Accommodation<\/strong> Don’t Forget Travel Insurance<\/strong> Want to Travel for Free?<\/strong> Need a Rental Car?<\/strong> Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip?<\/strong>![\"The](\"https:\/\/media.nomadicmatt.com\/2023\/goingfrontpage.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHow Going Works<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nHow Going Finds Deals<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nPros and Cons of Using Going<\/h3>\n
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Should You Use Going?<\/h3>\n
\nBook Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks<\/h4>\n
\nFind a cheap flight by using Skyscanner<\/a>. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned. <\/p>\n
\nYou can book your hostel with Hostelworld<\/a>. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com<\/a> as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. <\/p>\n
\nTravel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:<\/p>\n\n
\nTravel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation \u2014 all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites<\/a> to get started and see the latest best deals.<\/p>\n
\nDiscover Cars<\/a> is a budget-friendly international car rental website. No matter where you’re headed, they’ll be able to find the best \u2014 and cheapest \u2014 rental for your trip!<\/p>\n
\nGet Your Guide<\/a> is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more. <\/p>\n