How to Get a Flight Discount in 2027

See which flight discounts you can really get in 2027, from student and military fares to companion tickets, plus the days when prices actually drop.

You might already qualify for a flight discount and not know it. Many of these deals never show up in a fare search, so they're easy to miss.

We checked each airline's own pages and dug into RatePunk's fare data to find all of the best deals. Below, we'll walk you through the discounts for students, service members, families flying after a death, and airline cardholders, plus the days when airline sales actually lower prices.

Smaller Discounts Still Add Up

Getting a flight discount isn't what it used to be. Most big U.S. airlines don't offer senior fares, and promo codes rarely work. These days, the real discounts depend on things like your age, your military service, or the airline card in your wallet, and most only shave a small slice off the fare.

But! Don't brush off a small discount. On a U.S. domestic round trip at the usual fare, 10% off could save you about $20. That's dinner one night.

One more rule has your back, discount or not. Under the U.S. Department of Transportation's 24-hour rule, if you buy a ticket at least a week before the flight, the airline must let you either cancel for a full refund or hold the fare for 24 hours. So if a better deal pops up right after you book, you're not stuck.

Students Save More Flying Abroad

If you're a student or a young adult, the best savings are on flights abroad. Some of the bigger international airlines give you 10% to 20% off plus extra bags. On trips abroad those types of savings can mean a decent chunk of money stays in your pocket. At home, United is the only major U.S. airline with a young-adult discount.

Here's where to look:

United: 5% off Economy and Basic Economy fares for MileagePlus members aged 18 to 23, booked in the United app
Qatar Airways Student Club: 10% off your first flight, 15% off the second and 20% off the third and fourth, for ages 18 to 30, plus an extra 10 kg of bags
Turkish Airlines: 10% off flights to or from Türkiye and 15% off flights that connect in Türkiye, for students aged 12 to 34
Emirates: up to 10% off Economy with the code STUDENT, for full-time students aged 16 to 31
Iberia Joven: 10% off for travelers under 30, or 15% when you book for 4 or more people
Air France: no set discount, but Youth and Student fares include 2 free checked bags and free changes

Most of these need a free loyalty account and proof of your age or student status, so sign up before you start searching. Then check the airline's own page for the rules on your route.

Military Perks Are Mostly Bags

If you're on active duty, your big perk is free bags, not a lower fare, and when you're hauling gear, baggage fees add up fast. Every airline below gives you free checked bags or early boarding, and Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines also let you change or cancel for free when military orders change your plans. United is the only one with a set discount online, 5% off select flights, while American offers military fares in some markets by phone. United's discount comes off the base fare on flights operated by United or United Express, booked on united.com or in the app.

Here's what each airline gives you if you're on active duty:

United: 5% off select flights, up to 5 free checked bags depending on the trip, and pre-boarding
American: free checked bags with military ID, up to 5 when traveling on orders and 3 on personal trips, plus military fares in some markets by phone
Delta: free checked bags and early boarding
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines: up to 5 free checked bags of 70 lbs each, and free changes or a full refund when military orders change your plans
Southwest: priority boarding in the first group

Veterans, retirees, and military families, don't feel left out. American Forces Travel, a Military OneSource program, offers discounts on airfare, hotels, and trip packages to eligible service members, veterans, retirees, and spouses. Delta also offers a discounted medical-emergency fare to the immediate family of a war-injured service member, by phone or message.

Senior and Funeral Fares Are Fading

We wish we had better news, but senior fares are gone, and bereavement fares, the discounts for flying after a death in the family, are left at only a few. Southwest says it doesn't offer senior fares, and United's and Delta's own pages list none. What you can still get is free help at the airport, like United's free wheelchair service.

If you're flying after a loss, here's what the airlines we checked offer:

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines: 10% off the lowest available fare if you need to travel within 7 days after an immediate family member dies, by phone only
Delta: discounted, flexible fares for SkyMiles members, booked by phone or message, with change fees waived
Southwest and American: no bereavement fares

If you need to fly for a funeral, call the airline with the details ready, then compare its offer with the lowest fare you can find online before you book.

Airline Cards Beat Club Memberships

AAA won't get you a cheaper flight, but the right airline credit card might. Some cards come with a companion ticket, which basically means your travel buddy flies with you for much less. If you're an AAA member, you can still save on vacation packages that include airfare, and up to 30% on airport parking.

Here are the companion deals worth knowing about:

Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Visa: once a year, a companion ticket within North America from $122, which is a $99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23
Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Reserve American Express cards: one Companion Certificate a year, where the companion pays only taxes and fees of $22 to $250
Southwest Companion Pass: starting in 2027, 75 one-way flights or 95,000 Tier Qualifying Points earn three companion trips, and 100 flights or 140,000 points make them unlimited

Each deal has its own rules, so check which fares and routes count before you plan a trip around one. A companion ticket you can't use isn't much of a perk.

How to Catch a Real Fare Sale

Waiting for Black Friday to book flights? Hold off a few more days. U.S. round-trip fares didn't drop on Black Friday in our data, but they did on Travel Tuesday, the Tuesday after Cyber Monday, and the lower prices lasted only about four days. From Travel Tuesday through the following Friday, fares sit about $10 below each route's usual price, on routes where the usual round trip was around $200, while on Black Friday and Cyber Monday they matched the usual price.

U.S. domestic round-trip fares for February and March trips, by the day they were seen in searches, compared with each route’s usual price. Fares stayed close to or above the usual price through Black Friday and Cyber Monday, then fell to about $10 below it from Travel Tuesday through the Friday after. The lowest point was 8% below on that Thursday, and fares were back up by Sunday.

Ten dollars may not sound like much, but prices for the same trip barely move from one day to the next. Sale fares come with strings, too. Southwest, for example, says its sale fares may not cover every flight, date, or route, and can sell out fast.

Here's how to catch the next one:

Search on Travel Tuesday and the few days after it
Look at trips two to four months out
Read the sale's rules, including any promo code needed
Watch for 24 hours after you book, since you can cancel for a full refund on a ticket bought at least 7 days before the flight

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get discounted flights?

Start with the discounts you may already qualify for. Students, young adults, service members, families flying after a death, and airline cardholders all have deals worth checking, and you'll find each one in this guide. Then time your search, since fares dipped for a few days after Travel Tuesday, and lean on the DOT's 24-hour rule if a better fare turns up right after you book.

Do airline promo codes actually work?

Sometimes, but don't hold your breath for a code that works for everyone. Southwest lets you enter a promo code on its website or app, and some of its sales need one, but each code has its own terms and expiration date. Southwest's codes usually come straight to you or sit in your account.

Can you really get half off a flight?

Rarely, so if a deal promises half off, read the fine print. Only 0.9% of the cheapest daily U.S. domestic round-trip fares we tracked came in at half their route's usual price or less. A companion ticket from an airline card is the closest you'll get, since the second traveler pays a small fare or only taxes and fees.

Are there flight discounts for nurses, teachers, or first responders?

Not on the airline pages we checked. None of the U.S. or international airlines in this guide lists special nurse, teacher, or first-responder fares.

Can I get a discount after I've already booked?

Sometimes, if you move fast. Under the DOT's 24-hour rule, if you bought your ticket at least 7 days before departure, the airline must either let you cancel within 24 hours for a full refund or let you hold the fare for 24 hours. So if you spot a discount or a lower fare that soon, cancel and rebook. After 24 hours, the rules on your ticket decide.

Do kids fly for less?

Babies do, but older kids usually don't. On Delta, a child under 2 can fly on your lap for free within the U.S., and on international flights a lap infant ticket usually costs 10% of the adult fare. Kids 2 and older need their own ticket, and Delta lists no discount for them on domestic flights.

Can you get a group discount on flights?

Yes, if you're booking for 10 or more people. Delta, American, and Southwest all have group desks for parties that size, and American offers special group pricing plus 1 free name change per ticket. You book by phone or a request form, not the usual search, so start early.

Does AARP offer flight discounts?

Not on flights alone. AARP's travel benefits page lists deals on vacation packages and a travel credit card that earns 3% cash back on airfare, but no airline discount on a regular ticket.

How We Got These Numbers

The discount programs in this guide come from each airline's or agency's own website. The fares are U.S. domestic round-trip fares RatePunk saw in flight searches. The usual fare is the median, so half the fares were cheaper and half cost more. These are prices shown in searches, not prices anyone paid.

About RatePunk

Reading fares and understanding what makes them move is our area of expertise, and the prices in this article come from our own flight data. We run RatePunk Flights, a paid membership that watches prices out of the airport you fly from. When a route drops well below what it normally costs, the deal shows up in your app and on your dashboard, so you can book it wherever you like, with the airline itself or a travel site you already use.

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