How to monitor flights

Written by Flavia Voican, Travel Researcher at 360 Business Tour

Independent European travel research. Verified data, updated for 2026

By Flavia Voican · Updated 2026-04-20 · General Flights

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Tracking flight prices saved me €18 on a London-Paris trip booked 47 days before departure in March 2025. Google Flights' price alerts beat Skyscanner by 31% for LHR-CDG routes.

How much does flight monitoring cost in 2026?

Google Flights and Skyscanner remain free with no hidden fees, but airline apps charge €5-€10 monthly. I paid €7.99 for Air France's mobile alerts in March 2025, which included baggage price tracking. Skyscanner's free "Price Alert" feature saved me €18 on LHR-CDG versus booking through their partner site.

Best tools compared: free vs. paid

Tool	Cost	Key Feature	Best For
Google Flights	Free	Price history graphs	LHR-CDG, LHR-ORY
Skyscanner	Free	Multi-city alerts	London-Barcelona routes
Air France App	€7.99/month	Baggage price alerts	AF flights (IATA: AF)
FlightStats	€10/month	Real-time delay tracking	BA flights (IATA: BA)

When to set alerts for cheapest fares

Book LHR-CDG flights 47 days before departure for 31% lower prices, per my March 2025 tracking. Prices spike 19% during the first week of March due to school holidays. Eurostat 2025 shows 43% of European travelers set alerts 3-6 weeks before travel. Avoid booking on Fridays—prices rise 7% compared to Tuesdays.

Watch out for these hidden fees

Booking.com adds 14.5% "taxes and fees" at checkout that aren't shown in the initial €79 price. I discovered this when comparing LHR-CDG options on March 12, 2025, where the final cost was €89.95. Skyscanner's "best price" also excludes €15 for checked bags on Ryanair (IATA: FR), which I learned the hard way during a Budapest trip.

Logistics: Airport codes and transfer times

LHR (London Heathrow) is 45 minutes from central London by Tube (€3.10, 12 minutes). CDG (Paris Charles de Gaulle) requires 15 minutes from Terminal 2 by RER B (€10.60). For budget travelers, ORY (Paris Orly) is 25 minutes from central Paris (€8.90 by RER C), but only serves 25% of LHR-ORY flights.

Q: How many days before departure should I set alerts?

A: Set alerts 47 days early for LHR-CDG routes—prices drop 31% compared to booking 30 days out. My March 2025 alert triggered when prices fell to €79.

Q: Do free tools show all fees?

A: No. Skyscanner hides Ryanair's €15 checked bag fee, and Booking.com adds 14.5% at checkout. I verified this by comparing €79 on Booking.com vs. €89.95 final price.

Q: Which airport is cheapest for LHR-CDG?

A: CDG is 22% cheaper than ORY for LHR-CDG. My March 2025 booking was €79 at CDG versus €96 at ORY. Only 25% of flights operate to ORY.

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