Finding Cheap Flights: New York to Indianapolis

9 Proven Strategies

1. Compare Aggregators: Google Flights, Kayak, Skyscanner, Momondo—compare all airlines/OTAs at once.
2. Check Budget Carriers: Frontier, Spirit, Allegiant often undercut legacy airlines (watch for bag/seat fees).
3. Consider Alternate Airports: NYC: EWR, JFK, LGA, HPN, ISP. IND: maybe CVG (Cincinnati, 1.5h drive) or SDF (Louisville, 2h).
4. Book Early: Domestic sweet spot: 1–3 months out. Last-minute rarely cheap.
5. Set Fare Alerts: On Google Flights, Hopper, Airfarewatchdog for price drops.
6. Be Date-Flexible: Midweek (Tue/Wed) cheaper than Fri/Sun. Off-peak seasons (Jan–Feb, Sep–Oct).
7. Fly Off-Peak Hours: Early morning (6–7 AM) or late night (after 9 PM) often lower.
8. Use Airline Miles/Points: Chase UR, Amex MR, Capital One transfer to United, Southwest, etc.
9. Check Airline Sites Direct: Sometimes exclusive deals (e.g., Southwest only on southwest.com).

Pro tip: Use "whole month" view on Google Flights to spot cheapest days instantly.