10 Apps to Download Before Your Next Flight

The cost of airfare will be forever fluctuating, and it’s pretty difficult to master the system on your own. But you don’t have to fly solo to get the most bang for your buck. With the right app, you can fly well under your budget, earn rewards you never would have received and book deals for all aspects of your next trip with one simple click.

Don’t struggle searching for your next getaway. Instead, let these smart travel apps do the work for you.

Hitlist

Have a long list of dream destinations but not the bank account to match? Hitlist has you covered. Set your destinations, time and budget, and let the app do the rest. Hitlist scans millions of fares and sends the best deals straight to your phone according to your preferences.

liligo

Most people don’t know where they can afford to go on vacation until they scour the web. Instead of doing it yourself, let liligo compare prices across plane, train, and car and map out what’s possible for your budget.

Get The Flight Out

Last-minute travel needs? Don’t stress — just open up the Get The Flight Out app. It will find you a ticket to anywhere right now. Deals are scored from 0 to 10 based on a combination of factors such as the size of the discount, airline grade, itinerary friendliness and aircraft amenities.

If you travel for work but aren’t getting any deals or rewards when doing so, Upside Travel should be your go-to booking service. You can book your flights and hotel as a package online, getting your company a better, lower-priced deal while also giving yourself a reward. Every time you book, Upside Travel sends you a gift card to places such as Amazon, Target and Whole Foods.

Thanks Again

When you spend a lot of time flying from airport to airport, you probably spend a good bit of money at stores inside the terminals. Download Thanks Again to earn points on the coffee, food or candy that you purchase at over 1,000 merchants registered at airports across the country. You can then use these points toward free miles, seat upgrades and even cash back.

Continue to the next page to read about five more smart travel apps.

Hipmunk

Layovers stink — everyone knows that. Skip the hassle and annoyance of dealing with layovers and other travel difficulties by using Hipmunk to suss out the best, least-painful flight deals. The app will lay out each flight organized by "agony" level, which is a mix of cost versus total travel time, in an easy-to-read chart.

Hopper

This award-winning app predicts the best time to fly and the best time to buy by analyzing billions of flight prices each day. When searching for a specific route, Hopper will show you the best prices right at the moment, tell you whether you should purchase now or wait, and also give you the latest date by which you should purchase tickets.

Packaged and curated deals can be some of the best and most cost-effective deals you can find on the internet. Travelzoo lists its top 20 best deals each week, so users don’t have to scroll endlessly to find the best of the best. Packages can be anything from resort escapes and dinners to spa treatments, unique activities, show tickets and more, with some even including airfare.

Lola Travel

Tired of booking your own trips? Lola Travel will be your personal concierge for your next excursion. Real, human travel consultants will take the reins and book your flights, hotel and car service if needed.

Skyscanner

Those who enjoy comparing deals will also enjoy Skyscanner. This app offers a visual way to look at how different deals stack up against one another. An easy-to-understand bar graph plots out which days are the cheapest to fly and which are the most expensive.