Best VPNs for cheaper flights

Flight prices can largely differ based on your location, IP address, browsing activities, and demand. If you’re looking for cheaper fares, I recommend using a VPN to change your virtual location and bypass regional pricing differences.

During my tests, I searched for the best locations with the cheapest flight prices, with countries like Malaysia and Mexico among them. On average, they showed around 3-5% lower fares compared to the US.

Follow my guide to learn all you need to know about using a VPN for flights, and how to use a VPN to get lower fare flight tickets.

Here’s my top 3 VPNs for cheaper flights

1. ExpressVPN – best VPN for cheaper flights in 2025
2. NordVPN – fast and secure VPN to book cheap flights
3. Private Internet Access – budget-friendly VPN for flying cheaper

Why do you need a flight VPN?

A flight VPN can bring multiple benefits to your trip by allowing you to change your IP address and encrypt data. Here are the main reasons you should use a VPN:

• Cheaper flights. The main reason to get a VPN for travelling is that it comes with servers in dozens of different countries. This helps you find the same trip for a lower cost by exploring pricing in different regions.
• Find local deals. Some airlines offer special discounts for users in specific countries. A VPN helps you access those deals with a click of a button.
• In-flight Wi-Fi security. There are many airlines that offer Wi-Fi during flights, whether for free or for a fee. It’s still considered a public network, so using a VPN helps encrypt your data, so no one can see what you’re browsing online.

Best VPNs for cheaper flights based on my tests

I researched the best VPNs on the market and tested their capabilities to unlock cheaper flights. Only VPNs that offer excellent security features, don’t compromise speeds, and can successfully display prices from different countries made the cut. Here are my flight VPN test results:

1. ExpressVPN – best VPN for cheaper flights overall in 2025

ExpressVPN

1

9.7

/10

Visit ExpressVPN

Pros & cons

• Easily finds cheaper flights
• Loaded with security features
• 89% speed retention rate
• Beginner-friendly

• No free trial

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for cheaper flights because it has 3,000+ servers in 105 countries. During my tests, I found cheaper trips with multiple servers from Vietnam, Malaysia, and even Germany or Portugal. For example, the flight from Vienna to Oslo cost 11€ less when connected to a server in Germany.

^{Using ExpressVPN to find cheaper flights on Skyscanner.}

I also ran multiple DNS leak checks, and ExpressVPN passed it with flying colors. Considering that it also comes with an independently audited no-logs policy and a threat manager, the VPN ensures that your connection is safe when connecting to in-flight Wi-Fi.

To evaluate performance, I tested the speed retention rate of ExpressVPN. It retained an average of 89% initial speeds, so lagging or internet disconnections won’t be an issue.

You can get ExpressVPN starting from $4.99/month. All annual plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read more in our ExpressVPN review.

2. NordVPN – speedy VPN for finding cheaper flights

NordVPN

1

9.6

/10

Visit NordVPN

Pros & cons

• Successfully displays cheaper flights
• 92% speed retention rate
• Servers in 118 countries

• Free trial only on Android

NordVPN is a security-oriented VPN for getting cheaper flight deals that ensures private and speedy browsing. It has servers in 118 countries, and easily accessed cheaper flights with servers from Malaysia, Vietnam, and Mexico. As an example, I discovered a flight from Washington to Berlin that was cheaper by $6 when connected to a server in Vietnam.

^{NordVPN app interface.}

Thanks to the DNS leak protection, NordVPN passed my DNS leak checks without issues. But there were more features that I found useful, especially when traveling with in-flight Wi-Fi. For example, there’s a Double VPN feature that routes traffic through two servers and Threat Protection Pro for blocking malware and trackers.

During my speed tests, NordVPN proved to be one of the fastest VPNs on the market. It retained an average of 92% initial connection speeds.

The prices of NordVPN start from $3.09/month. You can get a free 3-day trial on Android and make use of the 30-day money-back guarantee.

Learn more in our NordVPN review.

3. Private Internet Access – budget-friendly VPN to get cheap airline tickets

PIA VPN

1

9.4

/10

Visit Private Internet Access

Pros & cons

• Finds cheaper flights
• Servers in 91 countries
• Prices start from $2.19/month only

• Not as fast as other VPNs

Private Internet Access (PIA) is another VPN that showed great results when I used it for finding cheaper flights. With servers in 91 countries, I found multiple options that showed cheaper trips. One of the more notable price differences was the flight from Washington to London costing $14 lower when connected to Indian servers.

^{Private Internet Access’s app in the menu bar of macOS.}

In terms of security, there were no DNS leaks during my tests. I reviewed their no-log policy and confirmed that it has been independently audited. PIA doesn’t have as many security features as ExpressVPN or NordVPN, but it’s enough for basic browsing activity protection.

I liked that PIA VPN retained around 90% of initial connection speeds, so I experienced no buffering even when watching videos. Combine it with great security, and you can be sure your flight activities will be private and seamless.

PIA prices begin from $2.19/month, which is a small price compared to competitors. You can try it free on Android or iPhone with a free 7-day trial.

Find more details in our Private Internet Access review.

Why do you see different flight prices?

The reason you see different prices when connected to a VPN is because of regional pricing. Here are the main factors that influence flight prices:

• Destination. If a specific destination is in high demand when flying from your location, it may be more expensive.
• Your location. Wealthier countries tend to show higher flight prices in general, while lower-income regions may display lower fares.
• Browsing activities. If you’ve already searched for the same route a few days in a row, some sites track your activities with cookies, which can trigger higher prices.
• Booking time. If you’re booking your flight for the holidays or during the summer, prices will naturally be higher due to high demand.
• Currency differences. Due to fluctuating currency exchange rates, flight prices can differ based on currency.

Cheapest country to book flights from with a VPN

With the help of my team, I recorded the price differences of multiple flights with and without connecting to a VPN in different regions. Then, I counted the average price of how much cheaper flight tickets are with a VPN compared to the US. Here are the cheapest flight countries I could find as of June 2025:

What I noticed while testing is that airlines often offer special deals in the region where they’re from. That’s because they’re trying to stay competitive and may get government subsidies to offer better rates.

I’d recommend booking tickets at least 1-3 months before traveling to secure the cheapest pricing. If possible, schedule a trip in the middle of the week instead of the weekend.

The more often you check (just use Incognito to prevent higher pricing due to tracking) flight prices, the more likely you are to find cheaper options. That’s why I’d recommend ExpressVPN – it has servers in 105 countries, so it’s your best bet at locating cheaper flights.

How I got cheaper flights with a VPN: detailed guide

Getting cheaper flight tickets with a VPN isn’t difficult if you do it right. I used the Skyscanner website so I could compare prices of different airlines with and without a VPN faster. For my text, ExpressVPN worked best due to its large server location selection.

So, here’s a step-by-step guide on how I got cheaper flight tickets with a VPN:

1. I chose multiple flight destinations on Skyscanner and first recorded them without a VPN.
2. I installed ExpressVPN and connected to servers in multiple countries, including India, Sri Lanka, and Mexico.
3. Everytime I connected to a server in a specific country, I checked the same flight destination prices using Incognito mode and noted them down. For example, a flight from Washington to Berlin was cheaper by around $20 when connected to a server in Mexico compared to when buying from the US.
4. That’s it. Once you find cheaper tickets, you can continue purchasing them as usual.

If prices don’t seem to change, try using Incognito mode or clearing your browsing activities and cookies each time. That’s because some airline sites track you to increase pricing when you’re looking for the same flight.

Other ways to get cheaper flights

There are a couple of other ways you can find cheap flight tickets aside from using a VPN. Here are a few options I recommend trying:

• Clear your browser’s settings – airplane websites store your data and track your online activities, meaning they can see that you’re in a hurry to buy a ticket and raise prices. You can prevent this by clearing your browser’s history, cache, and cookies or using Incognito mode.
  
  
• Consult a comparison website – comparison sites like Skyscanner and Momondo are great at finding the cheapest flight tickets and hotel bookings. They scour the internet to find the best flight options from various airlines and travel agencies and display multiple choices for you.
• Book in advance – booking in advance is one of the best ways to get a cheaper flight ticket. Many airlines sell a limited number of seats at lower fares months before the departure date. Just keep in mind that these sell out extremely fast, so you have to be quick.
• Wait for special deals – during Black Friday, Travel Tuesday, and other holidays, many airlines offer exclusive deals. The same goes for low-demand periods when airlines are trying to increase bookings and fill seats.
• Use proxy – proxies help change your IP address to make it look like you’re in a different region. However, they’re not as secure as VPNs because they don’t encrypt your online traffic.

I tried finding cheap flights with free VPNs

You can use a free VPN to get cheap flights but it’s not something I’d recommend. During my tests, I tried locating cheaper trips with free services but there weren’t many servers available. Plus, the servers were overcrowded, so it took me a lot of time to load the flight pages.

But if you’re going to give free VPNs a shot, make sure they’re reputable. Many unreliable services sell your data to advertisers since they don’t have any other way to make money.

Instead, try out freemium VPNs. For example, Proton VPN has free servers in such locations as the Netherlands and the US. However, these are wealthier countries that don’t have as many special deals available.

The fastest way to find cheaper flight tickets is to use a VPN like ExpressVPN. It comes with servers in 105 countries that you can try out free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Bottom line

Flight tickets can be expensive depending on your location, currency, and other factors, but a flight VPN can help you find cheaper tickets. It helps change your IP address to make it appear like you’re from a location where flights are cheaper or airlines have special discounts in place.

My tests showed that ExpressVPN is the best VPN for cheaper flights. It has servers in 105 countries, including Malaysia and Mexico, which showed cheaper trips. Plus, it keeps your browsing activities secure by encrypting them from third parties so you can use in-flight Wi-Fi without issues.

However, the other VPNs on our list also showed excellent results when trying to find cheaper tickets. So, take a look at what you’ll use the VPN for and evaluate which one is truly best for you.