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What is Going?
Have you ever heard a story about someone getting a jaw dropping deal on a flight and wondered how they did it?
That was what happened to Scott Keyes, founder of Going, formerly Scott's Cheap Flights. One day he found an amazing deal on a flight from NYC to Milan and suddenly everyone wanted his help. So now he provides that with Going, an email subscription service that alerts you when flight prices drop. But you can also find deals on his website and download his new app for similar services.
Don't worry, you won't have to fork out large commissions for the flight recommendations. Going has paid memberships (and a free one), which is how they stay in business.
Note
Scott's Cheap Flights officially rebranded to Going in January 2023.My personal experience with Going
Here's my personal experience with Going to give you an idea of how it works and how to maximize its benefits.
When I was planning my trip to Amsterdam, I looked at prices for flying into London, Paris, Brussels, and even a few cities in Germany. Even though London and Amsterdam aren't all that far from each other, tickets to London were hundreds of dollars more expensive than flying direct to Amsterdam. I also found the best deal for flying home to the U.S. was to leave from Paris. This led to planning a multi-city trip and taking trains across Europe to get from one destination to another.
I compared the deals I found using Going to booking a cheap flight with points, and how much I would earn if I used one of my travel credit cards. The combination of the three gave me the best deal on my trip and allowed me to have more money for other things I wanted to do on this trip.
How does Going work?
You might be disappointed at the Going website because honestly, it doesn't do much except tell you what a membership offers. You can't search the latest deals or even click on the options under "Flight Deals Right Now."
But, you can sign up for a free membership to get alerts on the latest deals on domestic flights. If you want deals outside of the United States or access to Premium Economy, business class, or first class deals, you'll need to sign up for a paid membership.
- Premium $49/year: Choose this package if you want to travel internationally in economy class.
- Elite $199/year: Choose this package if you want to travel domestically or internationally in any class except economy.
Both paid packages include newsletters and access to points and miles deals, mistake deals, and custom destination alerts. The free plan doesn't include these options.
No matter which plan you choose, you'll select the airports you want to receive flight alerts about and some personal information so you get customized deals.
Tip
If you aren't sure if a paid membership is right for you, they give you a 14-day free trial. If you cancel before the 14-days are up, you won't be charged. However, it's important to note that there aren't any refunds. Once you pay for the year, you cannot get your money back and you must cancel the automatic renewal if you don't want it to renew on your anniversary date.There is not much more to the website after you complete your registration. It has an extensive FAQ section and lots of articles containing travel tips and info on being a smart, savvy traveler. You can peruse recent deals and get some generalities about current deals, but everything else is hidden behind the paywall.
How does Going find flight deals?
Going looks for flights that could be good deals domestically and internationally. Instead of relying on an algorithm, the so-called Flight Experts review the available data against the company's standards for what constitutes a cheap flight or a good deal. Criteria include how the price compares to regularly offered prices for that flight, convenience, how much time you'll spend traveling, travel dates, and airline experience.
Going details their process on their website, giving everyone access to the same tools, but unless you're making a living out of it, chances are you're better off leaving it to them.
The emails you get have information about possible deals and links/instructions for booking. Going doesn't handle any kind of booking. It sends you to partner sites, such as Google Flights, to search for the provided deal where you can complete your booking. Customer support is on hand via email to help you with questions.
The right travel card for you is the one that matches your interests and spending habits, allowing you to earn valuable rewards and travel the way you like — for less. Learn more about these top cards and choose what's best for you.
»Compare Travel Credit CardsHow to sign up for Going
Signing up for Going is easy. Start by visiting the Going website. Click on the "Sign Up" button in the top right corner of the screen. You'll have three options to choose from: sign up with your Google account, Apple account, or with your email address. If you sign up using your email, you'll be sent a link to verify your account.
Next, you'll be asked to choose your home airport. If you live close to an airport that doesn't usually get a high number of deals, the software will suggest additional airports to add and create a list that the software will regularly search.
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You'll be asked to choose a membership plan after you select your home airport(s). It will continually nudge you toward the premium membership, even if you choose the basic one. There is a comparison list to consider, which shows what you get with each option.
As you can see from the image below, you get very little from the free version. Because the premium version of the membership is only $49 per year and you get a 14-day free trial, it may well be worth the investment for the deals you get in return, if you travel often. Plus if you use a lucrative travel rewards card, the purchase makes even more sense.
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You'll finish out your registration with a message from Keyes and the option to check out deals that were recently available. Then you just have to wait for the deals to hit your inbox.
How to get the most out of Going
If you invest in a Going membership, it's important to know how to get the most out of it. While a majority of it is out of your hands, there are a few things you can do to maximize your benefits:
- Be flexible with your travel dates
- Be flexible with your travel destinations, including out of the way airports
- Act fast on Mistake Fares
- Book during the "opposite season" than you want to travel
FAQs
Is Going free?
Going has both free and premium service choices. With the free service, members only get access to the basic deals and information, which makes getting the premium subscription more attractive if you're looking for the most and best deals. The added perks of being a premium subscriber over a free subscriber include alerts for mistake fares, rare deals, and peak and holiday fares.
How does Going work?
The idea behind Going is pretty simple. You sign up, choose which departure airports you want to fly out of, and subscribe to receive emails with fare deals to destinations within and outside of the continental U.S. that depart from airports on your list. They use a combination of software and human flight searchers to find and evaluate flight deals and choose the ones that are the best value for subscribers. So whether you want to fly to New York or Australia, chances are you might find a great deal.
How can I find mistake fares?
Mistake fare notifications come with a Going premium subscription. This is a great perk because finding mistake fares on your own is time-consuming, as you'll have to scour reservation websites such as Google Flights, Skyscanner, and other online travel agencies to find them. One option is to sign up for price alerts for specific destinations with your preferred travel search service. This will route mistake fares to your inbox.
Do airlines have to honor mistake fares?
Unfortunately, no, they don't. Going estimates that around 10% of bookings for mistake fares are canceled, and the bigger the mistake, the more likely it is to get canceled. However, most airlines will refund your money and some may even give you some credit toward another flight.
Does Going send text messages?
No, at this time Going only provides email alerts; however, they have recently released a mobile app for more functionality.
Bottom line
Overall, Going is a great tool if you aren't traveling in the near future. You'll find the best deals on long-term plans, especially when Going finds Mistake Fares. If you travel somewhat frequently, $5 a month is less than one cup of coffee at your favorite coffee shop, and can land you some of the best deals on travel.
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