You got a price drop email: what to do next

A price drop email means the fare you are watching has fallen, or reached your target. Low fares don’t always last, so here is a quick, calm way to act on it.

Step 1: Read the email

The email shows the route, your dates, the new price and the price before the drop. The price was found recently in our partner data. It is a strong signal, not a guarantee.

Step 2: Check current results

1. Press See flights. A results page opens with your route and dates.
2. Look at the nearby dates strip. A day next to yours may be even cheaper.
3. Sort by Cheapest to find the low fare, then by Best to see whether a slightly higher fare is much more convenient.

For a whole-month alert, the results open on a day in that month. Use the date picker or the strip to find the cheapest day.

Step 3: Check the live price

Press View deal. The partner’s site shows the live price. If the price has changed since the email, that is because fares move often. Compare it with your target and with what you have seen before.

Step 4: Decide

Book now if

• The live price is at or below what you hoped to pay.
• Your dates are fixed and close.
• The flight times and stops suit you.

Wait if

• Your travel date is far away and you are flexible.
• The drop is small and the price is still above your target.

There is no perfect moment that works on every route. Our guide to when to book flights explains what tends to move prices.

Step 5: Tidy up the alert

• If you booked, press Stop in the email, or remove the alert in your dashboard.
• If you are waiting, keep the alert as it is. You hear again after the next meaningful drop.
• If you want a break, press Pause. Members can resume it from the dashboard.

If this, then that

• If the low fare has gone, try nearby dates, or keep the alert running. Prices often move up and down.
• If the results show a different currency, the alert uses the currency it was created in. Change the currency in the header to compare.
• If you are booking for several people, remember the email price is per adult. The partner shows the total for everyone.
• If the email looks suspicious, don’t click. Go to Cheaplyfly directly and check your alerts there. We never ask you to pay Cheaplyfly for a flight.

Before you pay, use our checklist of what to check on the partner’s site, in the help center.

Still stuck? Contact us, choose the price alerts topic and tell us the route and the email address the alert uses.