Scott’s Cheap Flights is a flight booking website that was founded by Scott Keyes himself. The website claims that they do not receive any commission or kickbacks, either from airline carriers or online travel agencies (OTAs) for recommending deals to customers. This also means the advertisements on deals which the members receive via e-mails and newsletters that are sent periodically does not contain ads under direct pressure from airline companies or OTAs, and which are not relevant to the members. These are managed solely by the website.
In this travel guide blog, we will cover in detail how the website works and also, how you can find flight deals with a membership.
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How to Apply for a Scotts Membership
In order to avail flight deals, Scott’s Cheap Flights offers two types of membership to customers. These are:
(a) Limited Membership
- Subscription is free of cost
- Members receive fewer deals
- Average number of deals received in a month can range from 15 to 20
- Members are sent e-mails and newsletters which also contain ads on deals from certain companies
(b) Premium Membership
- Subscription fees costs $49 and is charged to customers annually
- Members receive more deals than the Limited members
- Can avail deals for domestic, peak summer and holiday travel
- Members will not see advertisements on deals whenever they receive newsletters and e-mails
- Average number of deals received in a month can range from 45 to 50
- Premium members are also entitled to Mistake Fares feature, which is up to 90% off regular prices and domestic deals, including Alaska and Hawaii deals
To get the most from Scott’s Cheap Flights on your flight deals, you will be required to sign up on the website, either as a Limited or Premium member. Membership is required, since the website earns through its subscribed members.
Finding Best Deals on Scotts Cheap Flights
When you sign up for a membership on Scott’s Cheap Flights, you will have access to several flight deals, both for domestic and international travel.
After signing up, you can select your preferred departure airport. If there is a deal available for your chosen flight trip, an e-mail is sent to you. The e-mail contains all the necessary information on how and where to find the flight.
When you create an account, you will be asked to choose your home airport. The site does even better by letting you know whether your departure airport includes a lot of deals, and which nearby airports in your region you can follow to avail additional deals. However, depending on where you want to go, the site may also recommend other airports which are not near you. For example, if you reside in Montana and want to visit Australia, you should follow airports in California to get additional deals.
You can view previous as well as recent deals in your account. There may even be a few recently sent deals which could still be active.
You can check your e-mails regularly. As soon as a relevant deal is found from your selection of airports, you will receive an e-mail with those deals. Bear in mind that sometimes, such deals are automatically stored in the Promotions category of newer version of Gmail. So, if you are using a new version of Gmail, you will need to filter or move e-mails from Promotions folder to your Inbox.
How Scott’s Cheap Flights Selects and Sends Deals to You
The main purpose of the site is to offer customers the “cheapest” flight deals possible. Therefore, in order to achieve this, the team has to consider a lot of factors, which also include meeting all conditions of the flight and airfare. The site interacts with you via e-mails and newsletters that you may find both interesting and compelling.
They pay close attention to flight prices, because this is what most customers look for when searching for the best and cheap flight deals online. In addition, according to the site, if the price of the airfare is close to the flight’s average price, then it will not be considered a deal. A deal would basically include a significantly discounted airfare, and which can be considered cheap.
Let’s take an example here. You want to travel from the New York City to Dubai in first class that costs around $10,000. But, if that airfare for the same route is offered at half its original price i.e., $5,000, then this would indicate a significant discount. On the other hand, if you are flying from the New York City to Canada and the airfare, which costs $1,500 is offered to you for just $500, this drop in the price will be considered a cheap deal.
But cheap doesn’t always mean sacrificing on availability, convenience, route, comfort, layover, stopover, etc. The site also does a great job at considering these factors as well. If they think an airline carrier is questionable, or its route, convenience, or comfort is not worth the price, they imply do not recommend such flights to customers.
What Deals Do the E-mails Contain?
The e-mails which are sent to you by Scott’s Cheap Flights usually contain a straightforward subject line and a gist of information about the deals that are recommended to you.
The subject lines for each e-mail will generally include the following:
- Destination (country, city or cities, or sometimes region, such as if it is a big sale with lots of cities available)
- Lowest price or price range (prices are always listed round-trip)
- If it is a Mistake Fare (which means you need to act fast)
The e-mail contains a list of the available destinations, departure cities, and flight prices. Sometimes, you may also receive big regional deals in which a number of destination cities are available. In such cases, you will be informed which destination city is the cheapest and if the route can be booked as an open jaw. For instance, a round-trip flight to Paris, but a return flight from London.
Also, the website lets you know about the available travel dates, the normal price, which airlines have deals, and how long are the deals expected to last. Furthermore, the site also lets you know exactly where and how to find the deal. For example, you may be suggested to look at a flight search site or online travel agency (OTA), such as Google Flights, Kayak, Momondo, Priceline, or Skyscanner.
How Do You Book Deals?
Scott’s Cheap Flights site lets you know of the best place to conduct your search, and also links you to a sample search. Thus, using the sample search can help you find the deal easily and without starting from scratch. With only one click on the sample search link which comes pre-loaded with filters, you just have to modify the search based on your specific needs.
For instance, you are interested in a deal that the site sent you for flights to Dubai with airfares costing up to $500. The e-mail will contain a link to a sample search, like Google Flights, which is another popular flight search website. When you click on the link, you are automatically redirected to the sample search results. Here, the sample search results is for travel dates in November, and the flight’s departure is from Newark.
You can, of course, change the departure city and use the built-in calendar feature to select the dates and see which is the cheapest. You can also adjust your trip’s length. Based on your preferences, you will see the results and choose the flight that suits you best.
Now, select the departure and return flights. Google Flights will then direct you to the airline carrier selling the flight ticket. Click the “Select” button. You will be taken to the airline’s website to complete the booking and payment. Again, based on your preferences, if your airfare allows, you can choose your seat, purchase upgrades, add your personal details, and finally, make the payment.
Conclusion
Scott’s Cheap Flights is an amazing website that can help you find the best and cheap flight deals wherever you want to travel.
When you subscribe to their site, keep a check of your e-mails regularly, as you may happen to find a deal that is worthwhile. Also, if you are referred to a different website, an OTA or a flight search site, be sure to read their policies, including cancellation and refund policy.
