This Viral Flight Booking Hack Could Save You a Lot of Money
Very ingenious, if you ask me.
Sometimes, having your phone track flight prices and setting up alerts on Google Flights isn't enough. On occasion, if you want to save money, you need to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. Well kind of—you still need technology to give you a teeny tiny hand.
On TikTok, a new flight booking hack recently went viral, amassing almost 2 million views of the platform. What you need is a tool you might have used before either to play the system when streaming content online or to use social media in countries where it's illegal. I'm talking about your old friend, the VPN.
"Don't just buy a flight to the country," reads the viral video's overtext. "Buy a VPN for it and buy your flight using a foreign VPN."
Not following? I'll explain. According to the video poster, flight prices often differ depending on where you buy the ticket from. Personally, I have seen this to be true—a roundtrip flight from NYC to Venice, Italy previously showed different prices depending on whether I tried to buy the flight from Italy or from the US.
Hence the VPN hack. Essentially, a VPN tricks your computer into thinking that rather than sitting in your own US-based apartment, you're actually located somewhere else in the world, like, say, below the Great Pyramid of Giza or by the Canal Grande in Venice. This means websites will show you "local" prices.
However, it's not a foolproof trick, and in order for it to work, you need to get lucky. According to a few comments below the viral videos, some travelers noticed that sometimes the price adjusts when you input your payment information, as it recognizes a US credit card. In the end, it depends on the airline, and the country you're traveling to.
Regardless, even if the outcome isn't always successful, it's still worth a shot. And if it doesn't work on airfare, just think bigger. "[I] paid most my [accommodation] thru Agoda, Booking.com, Airbnb by VPN," reads one comment. "And price-wise they [were] wayyyyyyy cheaper."
Looking for more travel tips?
Whether you need help sneaking weed onto a plane, finding an airport where you can sign up for PreCheck without an appointment, or making sure you’re getting everything you’re entitled to when your flight is canceled, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading for up-to-date travel hacks and all the travel news you need to help you plan your next big adventure.