17 Essential Apps & Websites for Discount Travel Deals

The cheapest trips come from three habits: comparing prices across sites, setting fare alerts before you book, and staying flexible on dates or even on the exact hotel. Google Flights, Kayak, and Skyscanner are the best free starting points for flights, Booking.com, Expedia, and Trivago for hotels, and HotelTonight, Priceline, and Hotwire for last-minute or mystery-hotel discounts. All 17 apps and sites below work for US travelers, and most have Canadian versions.

1. Hopper: Price Predictions and Price Freeze

Website: Hopper

Hopper predicts whether flight and hotel prices will rise or fall, and you can watch a trip to get price-drop alerts. Its Price Freeze holds a fare for a fee, but read the terms first: in July 2026 Hopper agreed to pay $35 million to settle FTC allegations that it charged fees without consent and did not clearly disclose that Price Freeze only covers increases up to a set amount (Consumer Finance Monitor). Compare Hopper's total with the airline's own price before you pay, and check our Hopper coupons.

2. Skyscanner: Flexible Flight Search

Website: Skyscanner

Skyscanner compares flights from airlines and booking sites, plus hotels and car rentals. Its Everywhere search shows the cheapest destinations from your airport, and the cheapest-month view helps when your dates are flexible. Set a price alert on a route to get an email when the fare changes. Skyscanner sends you to the airline or agency to book, so check that seller's fees and change rules first.

3. HotelTonight: Last-Minute Hotel Deals

Website: HotelTonight

HotelTonight, owned by Airbnb, sells unsold hotel rooms at discounted last-minute rates. Its Daily Drop reveals one discounted rate a day, with a short window to book it, and HT Perks members in the US and UK earn Airbnb credit on their stays (The Points Guy). Check our HotelTonight coupons before you book.

4. Google Flights: Price Tracking and Date Grids

Website: Google Flights

Google Flights searches airlines and online travel agencies and shows a date grid and price graph, so you can see which days are cheapest, plus fares from nearby airports. Turn on Track prices for a route or a specific flight and Google emails you when the fare changes. The Explore map shows where you can fly from your airport for the least money. Google does not sell tickets: you book with the airline or agency.

5. Kayak: Flights, Hotels, and Cars Compared

Website: Kayak

Kayak compares flights, hotels, and rental cars across hundreds of sites. Its Price Forecast predicts whether a fare will rise or fall over the next seven days and tells you to buy or wait (Kayak). Hacker Fares pair two one-way tickets, sometimes on different airlines, for a lower round trip, but each ticket has its own rules, so a cancellation on one leg does not protect the other.

Tip: Check out our Kayak US coupons & special offers

6. Airfarewatchdog: Fare Alerts From Your Airport

Website: Airfarewatchdog

Airfarewatchdog, run by Smarter Travel Media, sends fare alerts for the airports and routes you pick and tracks deals from your home airport. A paid premium membership adds international deals, premium cabins, and member hotel prices (Airfarewatchdog).

7. TripIt: Itineraries and Fare Tracker

Website: TripIt

TripIt builds one itinerary from your confirmation emails, so flights, hotels, and car rentals sit in one place. The paid TripIt Pro adds Fare Tracker, which watches flights you have already booked and alerts you when an economy fare drops, so you can ask the airline for a credit (TripIt).

8. Rome2Rio: Compare Trains, Buses, and Ferries

Website: Rome2Rio

Rome2Rio shows every way to get between two places, including flights, trains, buses, ferries, and driving, with rough prices and travel times. It is most useful abroad, or on routes where a train or bus could beat a flight on total cost.

9. Priceline: Express Deals and Pricebreakers

Website: Priceline

Priceline ended its Name Your Own Price bidding years ago. Its discount tools now are Express Deals, where you see the star rating, area, and price but learn the hotel name only after you book, and Pricebreakers, which show three similar hotels at one price (Wikipedia). Both are usually nonrefundable, so use them only when your plans are fixed.

Tip: Check out our Priceline coupons & special offers

10. Secret Flying: Error Fares and Flash Sales

Website: Secret Flying

Secret Flying posts error fares and flash sales from cities around the world, including many US departures, with new deals most days. Airlines can pull or cancel error fares, so do not book hotels or other nonrefundable plans until your ticket is confirmed. Some deal details sit behind a paid plan (Secret Flying).

11. Momondo: Price Calendar Comparisons

Website: Momondo

Momondo, a sister site of Kayak, compares flights, hotels, and car rentals across many travel sites. Its price calendar shows fares across a range of dates, so you can see whether moving your trip by a day or two saves money.

12. CheapOair: Deals on Flights and Vacation Packages

Website: CheapOair

CheapOair is an online travel agency for flights, hotels, cars, and packages. If you find a lower price for the same itinerary on another major travel site within 24 hours of booking, it refunds the difference or cancels for a full refund, with exclusions for coupon, membership, and group fares. Its free ClubMiles program earns points on CheapOair, CheapOair.ca, and OneTravel bookings.

Tip: Check out our CheapOair promo codes & coupons

13. Booking.com: Genius Discounts and Free Cancellation

Website: Booking.com

Booking.com lists hotels, apartments, and other stays worldwide, and many rates allow free cancellation until a set date. Its free Genius program gives 10% off selected stays at Level 1, with deeper discounts and extra perks at Levels 2 and 3 as you complete more stays (Booking.com). If you find the same stay with the same conditions for less elsewhere after booking, its price match refunds the difference.

Tip: Check out our Booking.com coupons & special offers

14. Travelzoo: Weekly Top 20 Deals

Website: Travelzoo

Travelzoo publishes a weekly Top 20 list of travel deals picked by its editors, plus hotel, cruise, and package offers. Since 2024 new members pay an annual fee, $40 in the US, for members-only Club Offers and a 24-hour head start on Top 20 dates, while the Top 20 newsletter itself stays free (Must Do Canada).

15. Expedia: Bundles and One Key Rewards

Website: Expedia

Expedia sells flights, hotels, cars, and packages, and booking a flight and hotel together often costs less than booking them separately. Its rewards program is now One Key, shared with Hotels.com and Vrbo: you earn OneKeyCash on eligible bookings, and since July 28, 2026 the earn rate depends on your tier and flights no longer earn (AwardWallet).

Tip: Check out our Expedia coupons & special offers

16. Trivago: Hotel Price Comparison

Website: Trivago

Trivago compares hotel prices from booking sites and shows the cheapest rate it finds for each property; you then book on the site that offers that price. Filter by guest rating and distance so a cheap rate does not land you somewhere you would not want to stay, and check our Trivago coupons.

17. Hotwire: Hot Rate Mystery Hotels

Website: Hotwire

Hotwire sells hotels, cars, flights, and packages, but its Hot Rate hotels are the main draw: you see the star rating, area, and price, and learn the hotel name only after you book (Hotwire). Hot Rate bookings are nonrefundable, so use them when your dates are fixed.

Tip: Check out our Hotwire coupons & special offers

Travel apps compared

App	How It Helps You Save	Additional Perks
Hopper	Predicts price changes; Price Freeze for a fee.	Watch a trip for price alerts.
Skyscanner	Compares prices for flights, hotels, and car rentals.	Cheapest-month view, Everywhere search.
HotelTonight	Discounted last-minute hotel rooms.	Daily Drop, HT Perks Airbnb credit.
Google Flights	Tracks prices and shows flexible dates/nearby airports.	Price tracking, explore map feature.
Kayak	Compares prices for flights, hotels, and cars with fare predictions.	Price Forecast, Hacker Fares.
Airfarewatchdog	Sends fare alerts and tracks flash sales.	Premium membership adds more deals.
TripIt	Organizes travel itineraries, syncing confirmation emails.	Fare Tracker with TripIt Pro.
Rome2Rio	Compares various transportation options.	Rough prices and travel times.
Priceline	Express Deals and Pricebreakers.	VIP program, opaque hotel deals.
Secret Flying	Finds error fares and flash sales for unbeatable flight deals.	Some deal details need a paid plan.
Momondo	Compares prices across hundreds of travel sites and tracks price trends.	Price calendar.
CheapOair	Offers promo codes and discounts for flights, hotels, and vacation packages.	24-hour price match, ClubMiles.
Booking.com	Provides affordable accommodations and free cancellations.	Genius discounts, price match.
Travelzoo	Curates exclusive deals on hotels, vacations, and cruises.	Free Top 20 newsletter, paid Club Offers.
Expedia	Offers bundled deals on flights, hotels, and car rentals.	One Key rewards, VIP Access hotels.
Trivago	Aggregates hotel prices from different platforms to find the lowest rate.	Guest rating filters.
Hotwire	Hot Rate mystery hotels and last-minute deals.	Hot Rates (nonrefundable).

Conclusion

Start with Google Flights or Kayak for flights and Booking.com or Trivago for hotels, set alerts on any trip you can plan ahead, and use HotelTonight, Priceline Express Deals, or Hotwire Hot Rates when your plans are fixed and you want the lowest last-minute price. Before you pay, check the booking site's DealHack coupon page for a code.

FAQ

What is the best app for finding cheap flights?

Google Flights, Kayak, and Skyscanner are the best free places to compare fares and set price alerts. Hopper adds price predictions, but compare its total with the airline's own price.

How do price prediction apps work?

Price prediction apps use historical data and real-time analytics to forecast when flight or hotel prices will rise or drop.

Can I set alerts for flight price drops?

Yes, most travel apps, such as Kayak, Google Flights, and Airfarewatchdog, allow you to set up price alerts

What are last-minute hotel booking apps?

Apps like HotelTonight and Hotwire specialize in offering discounted rates for last-minute hotel bookings.

Do any travel apps offer price matching?

Yes. Booking.com refunds the difference if you find the same stay for less after booking, and CheapOair matches a lower fare for the same itinerary found within 24 hours of booking.

How can I find error fare flights?

Secret Flying posts error fares as they appear, and Going (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights) emails cheap and mistake fares from your home airport.

What is the benefit of loyalty programs in travel apps?

Booking.com Genius gives discounts on selected stays, and Expedia's One Key, shared with Hotels.com and Vrbo, pays OneKeyCash you can use on future bookings.

Can travel apps help with multi-leg journeys?

Yes, apps like Rome2Rio and Skyscanner allow you to plan complex itineraries involving multiple modes of transport.

Is it possible to freeze prices on flights?

Yes. Hopper's Price Freeze holds a fare for a fee, but it only covers increases up to a set amount, so read the terms before you pay.

Which apps provide bundled travel deals?

Expedia and Priceline offer bundled deals that combine flights, hotels, and car rentals for additional savings.