Best VPN for Booking Flights

Airplane ticket

Going on holiday, vacation, or flying for many other reasons is one of life’s little joys, especially after recent times.

If you’re lucky enough to be jetting off somewhere soon for pleasure or business, you’re probably like me, wanting to get the best deal, which means finding cheap flights.

There’s nothing worse than tapping in your payment details, confirming payment and then a few days later finding the same flight or hotel cheaper elsewhere.

Meanwhile, it happens all too often, as flight prices change with your location. So, we say, don’t pay more, instead, change your location and grab the cheapest flight deals from the comfort of your home.

So you may have heard of the big new trick. Using a VPN.

A VPN can help you connect to a different region than your departure location and maybe get a different price for the same flight.

While I’m somewhat skeptical about the potential savings (you can see my thoughts on that here) on cheap flights, plenty of people swear by it.

With claims of significant savings on everything from short flights, hotels and even mile-busting long-haul flights, all of which can result in knocking down ticket prices.

But which VPN is best for cheap flights, and which is going to give you the biggest savings?

In a rush?

In our tests we found ExpressVPN to be the most reliable VPN for finding cheaper tickets.

We were interested in this ourselves, so in search of cheaper flights, we looked into a variety of VPNs, tested them and here are our results. Scroll down to discover the answer.

Top 7 VPNs for Ticket Booking

After considering all the features of the services, here are the most suitable for booking cheap flights:

  1. ExpressVPN
  2. CyberGhost VPN
  3. NordVPN
  4. VyprVPN
  5. Surfshark
  6. WeVPN
  7. IPVanish

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN apps on multiple types of devices

Pros
  • Works with popular booking sites
  • Apps for computer, phone & tablet
  • Easy to use and set-up
  • Connect to 90+ countries
  • Top security features
  • 30-day money back guarantee
Cons
  • Monthly price expensive

ExpressVPN is easily one of the best, if not THE best choices in the industry and is our leading VPN option for booking your cheaper flights and other tickets.

Apart from having a plethora of security and privacy features, this VPN also has a massive server network that allows you to connect to over 3,000 servers in 94 countries.

As a result, you’ve got a vast range of countries to connect to, to compare prices and find cheaper flights. Check ticket costs from Europe, Asia, North America or any other global location, and witness the flight prices change as you do so.

ExpressVPN booking website

Use ExpressVPN to search cheaper tickets.

It features apps for all devices allowing you to bag a bargain for cheap ticket prices at home or on the move.

It also doesn’t keep logs of your browsing behavior stopping travel companies from remembering your searches and previous flight data. Plus there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee.

We have tested it by connecting to several locations, and without error, fares’ prices have been different almost every time.

Our #1 Recommendation for Ticket Booking

30-day money back guarantee

2. CyberGhost VPN

Cyberghost Website

Pros
  • Good range of apps
  • 45-day money back guarantee
  • Quick to set-up
  • Beginner friendly
Cons
  • Apps a little cumbersome

In the second spot, we have a CyberGhost VPN, which is another old and reputable VPN service that allows you to keep your online privacy and anonymity as you seek out lower ticket prices.

This VPN also has some of the best security features that the VPN industry can offer, and it covers around 89 countries meaning you can connect to multiple locations to compare prices on your flight comparison sites.

Another thing that makes CyberGhost stand out is the fact that it has one of the longest money-back guarantees in the industry, which lasts for 45 days.

That means that you can hunt for cheap tickets for a month and a half, and still get your money back if you are not satisfied with how this virtual private network works.

So if you can’t find any plane tickets bargains, you get to use it for a month and a half and still get your money back if you decide that it is not to your liking.

CyberGhost booking website.

CyberGhost can help you save big.

We like their apps which are effortless to use even if you’re a beginner. So don’t worry if you’re new at using a VPN, you will still find the cheapest fares with a push of a button and manage to save money.

3. NordVPN

NordVPN Deal

Pros
  • Very user friendly apps
  • 30-day money back guarantee
  • Good access speeds
  • Connect to 60+ countries
Cons
  • Not the fastest

Next on our list of cheap plane tickets-seeking VPNs, there is NordVPN – a popular service that you may have heard of before.

This one has a big network, albeit it spans through fewer countries – around 58, at the time of writing. However, it has over 5,500 servers in total, which makes it one of the largest ones in the world, and perfect for seeking out flight tickets at lower rates.

This means you can still compare the prices when booking your flight tickets, just in fewer locations. All the major locations are covered though, so you have a fair chance to find cheap flights.

Like the first two, NordVPN offers top security, multiple dedicated apps for various systems and devices, as well as a lengthy money-back guarantee, all of which can aid you in finding cheaper flight prices while using a VPN.

Their money-back guarantee lasts 30-days, giving you enough time to see what savings you can make, and if you’re not convinced, then get your money back. As far as using a VPN goes, there are definitely plenty of server locations, so take your pick with this cheap flight finder.

4. VyprVPN

VyprVPN website

Pros
  • Apps for mobile and computer
  • Simple app interface
  • Quick connection speeds
  • Works with most booking sites
Cons
  • Package deals confusing

Then, we have VyprVPN – a VPN service that stands out from many others because it covers countries like Russia – places that many VPNs tend to avoid due to complicated privacy laws.

Still, even Russia offers flights cheaper if you try connecting to different locations, which you will quickly see on any flight comparison site.

This is great if you specifically want to check out prices from the Russian region. They also have a few other interesting locations across the Middle East, Macau and the Maldives amongst others.

As a result, it pays to hide your internet traffic, try out different server locations, and browse airline tickets from anywhere.

With these unique locations, it gives you more scope to search out a flight ticket bargain limited to a specific area. Best of all, a VPN server can hide your IP address and make you completely anonymous, even if that means hiding you from your internet service provider.

Apps are available for all devices from desktops and laptops to phones and tablets. Whatever device you like to bargain-hunt on, you’ll be covered.

Like the other VPN providers, they offer a 30-day money back guarantee so you’ve got that additional protection while waiting for the right flight ticket to emerge.

5. Surfshark

Surfshark Website screengrab

Pros
  • Big range of apps
  • Works on any device
  • 30-day money back guarantee
  • Strong security features
Cons
  • Newer provider

In the fifth spot on the list of the best VPN for finding cheap airline tickets, we have Surfshark.

Like VyprVPN, this service also goes to places where not many others dare to visit, offering IP address locations in some of the most hard to reach locations. Of course, we don’t mean hard to reach with cheaper fares, but rather by using VPN servers.

Add the fact that it has all the same security and privacy features and a somewhat lower price than others, on top of the fact that it is still a relatively new service, and it is easy to understand how and why it managed to snowball and become one of the leading VPNs in the world.

In other words, you will not only save up on the same flights, but also on the price of VPN.

There are 61 countries covered on the service, so while not the dizzy heights of ExpressVPN or CyberGhost VPN, it’s still a decent number allowing you to see prices in most regions and find cheap tickets with ease.

Surfshark stands out for its ease of use so if you’re confused by ‘VPN’ and just want to make your price comparisons with minimal fuss then they’re a good choice in combination with any search engine.

As with the other providers, there’s a 30-day money back guarantee.

6. WeVPN

WeVPN website

Pros
  • User friendly apps
  • Good connection speeds
  • Excellent for streaming
Cons
  • Fewer server locations
  • Unproven provider

If you want to secure cheap flights, you may also consider WeVPN, another VPN provider that can be used for achieving more dynamic pricing, depending on where you connect.

This VPN has servers in over 57 locations around the world, so no matter where you are, you can secure a cheaper flight simply by connecting to another location. This can especially be useful in the aftermath of COVID-19, when many tend to raise prices to make up for what is lost.

And, once you reduce the cost of your ticket price, you can start thinking about further travel arrangements, all thanks to using a VPN.

WeVPN is fast, private, and it supports a massive number of devices. It also has a no-logs policy, and, of course, a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you change your mind about using it.

Use it today, find cheap flights, or save money by making a reservation on the exact same flight you wanted to take without a VPN, but at a lower rate.

Also, one thing that you may not have known is that this same method can also work on domestic flights as well as international flights, so keep that in mind.

7. IPVanish

IPVanish website

Pros
  • Time-proven provider
  • Large range of countries
  • Good range of apps
Cons
  • Apps look dated
  • Unaudited no-log policy

Last on our list, we have IPVanish. This VPN can let you connect to over 75 locations worldwide in your pursuit of cheap flights. It also has no speed limits, nor bandwidth limits, and it offers user-friendly apps for all major platforms.

With IPVanish, you can browse cheap flight tickets and find some insanely cheap flights, for this day and age.

This can definitely help you save money on your favorite flight comparison sites, and all because you have connected to a VPN server in the right location.

This is the power that a virtual private network can offer. Of course, like the others, IPVanish is old, reputable, safe to use, and it has a 30-day money-back guarantee. With it, you can easily hide your IP address before you book your next flight, and depart for your final destination.

Of course, it would help if you did some research to figure out the cheapest dates for the exact location you wish to travel to, as that would let you pay even less on your favorite booking sites. So, get your VPN today, and google flights before the summer ends.

How can a VPN help?

You might be wondering, how can hiding your location help with booking flights, finding cheaper airfares, and other services like cheapest prices at hotels and car rental?

There are three significant advantages that this gives you which are:

1) Regional prices

As briefly mentioned earlier, prices are often different depending on the region you are in.

This is true for a lot of online stores, booking services, and other similar businesses.

Basically, when you visit a website, it scans your IP address (your online address) in order to determine where you are from.

This is then taken into calculation when you try to book a flight or buy a particular product.

By changing your region, you can get to access regional pricing, meaning it’s possible to pay less for the same tickets. Basically, with a VPN, airlines can’t tell where you really live. They only see where the IP address is pointing at.

2) Unblock special deals

The same can be applied when it comes to exclusive deals, as sites and services often offer discounts and other types of beneficial deals in addition to dynamic pricing, but only if you are located in the right spot.

A VPN can help you appear to be, regardless of where in the world you actually are which in turn ‘unlocks’ that deal that you otherwise wouldn’t have been privy to.

So, in addition to getting a discount on a particular flight, you can also get cheapest tickets to various locations that travel sites are offering, and maybe even go on an adventure while ensuring flight savings.

In other words, if you use a VPN service, you will never again have to miss a great deal on booking sites just because you live where you live.

And, best of all – using such services is entirely legal and a little bit of a secret, shhh!

Airplane and ticket

3) Reduce tracking

Another thing that quite often occurs when it comes to modern online businesses is tracking, which results in some moves that many would consider unfair.

Namely, if you often revisit the same product or a ticket, in this case, the website or app you are visiting continuously tracks your behaviour. The same goes for search engines, which then use this private data to target you with ads.

It interprets your constant revisiting of the same thing as growing interest, and it can automatically increase the price, thus forcing you to pay even more than what the price already was.

By using a VPN, you can protect yourself from trackers by changing your online location. This will ensure you get a private internet access, and always get the real price, or even book flights at a discount from different countries and at budget carriers.

Or, as mentioned before, you might even catch a discount or a special deal which may or may not be available at the airline’s home country.

Is there a free VPN for booking flights?

Free VPNs do exist, but we do not recommend using them.

They aren’t really good for everything, but when it comes to booking the lowest airfares, they can actually cause problems. You see, free VPNs are problematic.

They don’t get the money from their users, so they only have a few servers. That means that you can’t really choose where to connect to in order to reach your booking site of choice. So, whether or not you can even reach cheap flights is up in the air.

But, that’s far from your biggest issue.

You should also note that there are often deals that airline companies offer that could lead you to find insanely cheap flights. But, since free VPNs are too overcrowded and slow, they may interfere with your connection enough that you will miss such cheap flight prices.

And, let’s not forget the fact that they are used by thousands of people, which could not only prevent you from finding the cheapest flights, but could even cause an alarm on airline sites, and trigger their anti-fraud systems.

Always use InPrivate/Incognito mode

Even though VPNs are so incredibly useful, the unfortunate truth is that even they can’t do everything.

For example, cookie tracking and price increases cannot be completely defeated by just connecting to different countries, which is unfortunate, but still true.

As a result, many have found an additional way to improve your odds of getting better prices, which is to use the Incognito mode, also known as InPrivate, depending on which browser you are using.

Make no mistake, you should still use a VPN to achieve the full effect. But, in addition to hiding your IP address, also hide your previous browser use.

When you activate this mode in your browser, you open a new window that is completely clean, with no cookies, extensions, or anything else that would indicate that you are you.

That way, each visit to the ticket booking website will be your first, at least as far as the website is concerned.

Computer screen with padlock

Of course, this would not work as well without a VPN, because your IP address would still be visible. But, with both VPN and Incognito/InPrivate at your side, you are somewhat anonymous on the internet.

You can activate it in most browsers by opening the options, or by activating a keyboard shortcut.

For Chrome, the shortcut is CTRL + SHIFT + N.

In Firefox, the command is CTRL + SHIFT + P.

While in Opera, the quickest way to activate it would be to make a right-click on the taskbar, and select New Incognito Window from the options.

Things to be aware of

With all that said, there are still a few things that you should know.

One of them is that you should not expect some astronomical discounts that will let you buy tickets for a few dollars.

Booking flights still comes at a price, but at least you can prevent the companies from taking more than what they should by protecting yourself and changing your location.

There are also some situations where there will be no discounts at all, but that tends to vary from one company to another.

Hand out with percentage sign above

In other words, it’s all relative, but even if you end up without a discount, using a VPN for protection when flying to other places is always a necessary precaution, as hackers are everywhere these days, especially on public networks which you’re likely to use when travelling.

When all is said and done, if huge savings are possible is questionable. Some users swear by booking using a VPN, we’re a little more sceptical.

Statistics

A study by Kiwi.com concluded that Malaysia and Bulgaria were the cheapest nations for booking air travel (Source).

However, a $10 VPN for a potential saving is often worth a gamble. Plus most services offer a 30-day money back guarantee meaning you can try it out risk-free.

Summary

Booking tickets has never been more accessible, but that doesn’t always mean that you will get to enjoy the same benefits as others.

Sometimes, the reason for this is as simple as your location in the world.

However, this is easy to fix, and all you need to do is use a VPN app that will allow you to hide your location at any time with a single click.

If you want the chance to start saving, grab ExpressVPN and see what deals you can find.

 

Get our Recommended VPN service!

  • Works well anywhere
  • Easy to set up
  • Beginner-friendly

Illustrations © Dacianlogan | Dreamstime.com

Author: Ali Raza

Ali is a journalist with a keen interest in VPN usage. He is an expert in the field and has been covering VPN related topics for VPNCompare and numerous well-respected publications for many years.

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