10. Hopper: Best Flight Website for Predicting Travel Deals
Hopper is actually a travel app that helps users find the best deals on flights and hotels, and reportedly predicts with a 95% accuracy when rates will go up or down. Hopper uses super specific algorithms to determine these predictions, and they’ve truly never let me down.
When you have some idea of when and where you’d like to travel (Asia in the fall, perhaps?), you can input your dates and destination into the app. Hopper will let you know when the price is expected to increase or decrease, so you can make better decisions and ultimately save money. And if a deal pops up, you can book it directly in the app!
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You really have to use the Hopper app to make the most of this flight search tool. There’s not much you can play around with on a web browser. Luckily, the app is super intuitive and makes the online travel planning process an absolute delight (other than the pop-ups).
Here’s an example of their straightforward price trends, for a Montreal to Tokyo route:
If the price is expected to rise, you can book the flight immediately to grab the best deal possible. But if the app says the cost will drop in the future, you can “watch” the flight and ask to receive a notification when the fare drops.
Taking it one step further, you can actually pay a deposit on a “price freeze” so that the rate you’re seeing will be available to book for the next 20 days, even if the flight increases. And if the price drops within those 20 days, Hopper will offer a price match. You’ll pay the lower price and the deposit will go toward the total fare. But if you don’t book, you’ll lose your deposit too.
Side note: although Hopper doesn’t have a booking fee, they do include a $5 “tip” to every booking. You’re free to opt out of it, though.