The flight booking tricks people repeat are mostly useless. These are the ones that actually save me money on US trips.

I kept seeing the same advice everywhere about booking flights at odd hours or clearing cookies, but none of it made much difference for me. After comparing prices over time, these are the habits that have consistently helped me spend less on flights around the US.

The biggest one is staying flexible with your travel dates. Even moving your trip by a single day can sometimes knock a decent amount off the fare, and midweek flights are often among the better deals.

I also like checking both Google Flights and Skyscanner instead of relying on just one site. Google Flights is excellent for tracking prices on a route you already have in mind, while Skyscanner sometimes uncovers cheaper combinations or nearby options that are easy to miss.

Timing matters too. For most domestic trips, booking a few weeks before departure has usually been much cheaper than locking everything in many months ahead. It is also worth comparing nearby airports since flying into or out of a different airport can make a surprising difference.

One last thing is to look beyond the advertised ticket price. Budget airlines can seem like the cheapest option until baggage and other extras are added, so always compare the final total before checking out.

If you have any tips that have worked well for you, share them below. I'm always looking for better ways to save on domestic flights.