What's the Cheapest Way to Get Airline Tickets for a Family of Four?

Published: 8 October 2026 · Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Author: Hejia Zhang, Editor in Chief, ShopBack US

The cheapest way to get airline tickets for a US family of four in 2026 is to stay flexible on dates, fly out on a Saturday and home on a Tuesday (Priceline says this combination can save up to 30% if your dates are flexible), search one seat first to find the lowest fare, compare the same flights on Expedia, Priceline and CheapOair, price a flight plus hotel bundle, and go through ShopBack US before you book.

With four travelers, every saving counts four times. A $40 difference per ticket is $160 for the family, before bags and seats. So the order you do things in matters.

New to ShopBack? ShopBack US is a free shopping and cash back app and website. Before you book on Expedia, Priceline or CheapOair, open the store through ShopBack, then book as usual, and part of what you spend comes back as cash you can withdraw. Join ShopBack US for free.

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The cheapest way to get airline tickets for a family of four

Flexible dates, a single-seat search, a side-by-side comparison of booking sites and one essential step before you pay usually beat any single trick. Here is the order that works for most US families:

1. Pick the cheapest days to fly. According to Priceline's flights page, departing on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday can save up to 12% on domestic airfare compared with peak departure days, and a Monday return can trim as much as 12% off the fare.
2. Try a Saturday to Tuesday round trip. Priceline says departing on a Saturday and returning on a Tuesday often gives the cheapest round-trip pricing, saving up to 30% if your dates are flexible.
3. Search for one seat first. This shows you the lowest fare the airline is selling right now (more on this below).
4. Compare the same flights on Expedia, Priceline, CheapOair and the airline's own site. Look at the total for four travelers, including taxes and any booking fees shown at checkout.
5. Price a flight plus hotel bundle if you also need a place to stay.
6. Go through ShopBack US before you book. It is the step that brings part of the fare back as cash after the trip, on the same booking site you picked.

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Cheap airline tickets in 2026: timing for families

Timing often moves family fares more than a coupon does, and Priceline's own data shows where the gaps are. All figures below come from Priceline's flights page at the time of writing.

What you choose	What Priceline says
Departure day (US domestic)	Thursday, Friday or Saturday can save up to 12% against peak days
Departure day (international)	Thursday is the cheapest day to fly; Sunday tends to cost most
Return day	Friday and Saturday are usually most expensive; a Monday return can trim up to 12%
Round-trip pattern	Saturday out, Tuesday back often cheapest; up to 30% if flexible
Cheapest month (US domestic)	September, followed closely by February
Most expensive months	December, March and June
When prices start rising	3 to 4 weeks before departure for US domestic; about 2 weeks out for Europe

For families, this points to a few practical moves:

• School holidays cost more. December, March and June line up with winter break, spring break and the start of summer, which is why they top Priceline's expensive list. If you can travel in September or February, you are flying in the cheaper months.
• Do not leave it late. With four seats to fill, the risk of waiting is higher than for a solo traveler, because the cheapest tier may not have four seats left. Priceline's 3 to 4 week warning for US domestic fares is a useful cut-off.
• Shift by one day. Moving a Sunday return to a Monday can make a bigger difference across four tickets than any code.

For more on timing, see our guide to when to book US flights.

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Why you should search for one seat before four

Airlines sell seats in price tiers, so a search for four travelers can show a higher fare than a search for one. When fewer than four seats are left at the lowest price, the booking system can price the whole group at the next tier up.

How to check this:

1. Search your exact flight for one adult. Note the fare.
2. Search the same flight for four travelers. Divide the total by four.
3. If the one-seat fare is lower, there are some seats left at the cheaper price.

If that happens, you can book the cheaper seats first and the rest in a second booking. The trade-off: two bookings are managed separately if the schedule changes. Contact the airline to link them, and check seat assignments so the family sits together. Many airlines publish a family seating policy, so read it before you pay for seat selection.

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Expedia vs Priceline vs CheapOair for cheap airline tickets

No single booking site is cheapest on every route, so the cheapest family fare comes from comparing the same flights on each one. Each site has its own strengths:

Booking site	What it offers families
Expedia	Flights, hotels and packages in one place, plus One Key, Expedia Group's rewards programme across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, launched in 2023
Priceline	Express Deals with up to 50% off retail fares when flight details are revealed after booking, round trips built from two one-way fares, and Priceline VIP Rewards
CheapOair	A US online travel agency for flights, hotels, car rentals and vacation packages, owned by Fareportal

Expedia: One Key rewards and packages

Expedia sells flights, hotels and vacation packages, and its One Key programme, launched by Expedia Group in 2023, lets members earn and use rewards across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. For a family that will also book a hotel or a holiday rental, rewards from one booking can go towards the next one. See our Expedia savings guide for more.

Priceline: Express Deals and one-way combinations

According to Priceline, Express Deals work like mystery fares: you choose the general flight time and destination, Priceline shows the possible airlines and number of stops, and in exchange for up to 50% off retail fares, the exact details are revealed only after booking. Priceline also says booking two one-way flights on different airlines can result in cheaper round trips, and its search builds these automatically. Express Deals suit families with fixed dates but flexible flight times.

CheapOair: flights and packages

CheapOair is a US online travel agency owned by Fareportal that sells flights, hotels, car rentals and vacation packages. For international routes in particular, it is worth adding to your comparison, because fares can differ between booking sites for the same flight.

How to compare fairly

• Compare the total for four travelers, not the fare for one.
• Include taxes and booking fees shown at checkout on each site.
• Check the fare type. A basic fare may not include seat selection or a carry-on, which adds up across four people.
• Read the change rules. Family plans change more often than solo ones.

Other booking sites on ShopBack US in the same category include Booking.com, Trip.com and Hotels.com.

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Flight plus hotel bundles for families

If you also need a hotel, a bundle can cost less than booking flights and a room separately. Priceline says bundling your flight with a hotel or rental car can tap into package pricing, which it calls "often a hidden gem for late planners." Expedia and CheapOair also sell vacation packages.

To check whether a bundle wins for your trip:

1. Price four flights on their own.
2. Price the hotel for the same dates on its own.
3. Price the package for the same flights and hotel.
4. Compare totals including taxes and fees.

For families that need two rooms or a suite, run the comparison with the exact room setup, because package prices can change with room type.

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Lap infants and children's tickets

On US flights, the FAA says children who have not reached their second birthday are permitted to travel as lap children, but it strongly discourages this and recommends securing your child in an approved child restraint system in their own seat for the entire flight, according to the FAA's flying with children page.

What this means for a family of four:

• If one child is under 2, a lap seat can lower the cost on domestic flights, but the FAA's advice is to buy the seat. Airlines set their own lap infant rules and fees, especially on international routes, so check the airline's page before you book.
• Children 2 and older need their own seat on a ticket.
• Bring an approved car seat if you buy a seat for a child under 2. The FAA lists approved child restraint systems on the same page.

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Go through ShopBack US before you book

Before you check out, go through ShopBack to get a post-purchase discount on the order. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

Here is how it works with family flights on ShopBack US:

1. Open the store's page on ShopBack: Expedia, Priceline or CheapOair.
2. Tap through to the booking site and book in that same visit. Accept the site's cookies so the booking can be tracked.
3. Book as you normally would. Booking through ShopBack lowers the cost of the trip, and you still book on the site you chose.
4. Withdraw the cash once the booking is confirmed after your trip.

Each store's ShopBack page shows the live rate for flights, hotels, packages and other categories. Flight rates are often different from hotel and package rates, and some categories earn a fixed amount rather than a percentage. Taxes, service charges and booking fees are listed as exclusions on these pages at the time of writing, so cash back is worked out on the eligible part of the booking.

A worked example

Step	Amount
Four round-trip tickets, eligible fare before taxes	$1,200
Cash back at an illustrative 3% rate	$36
Effective cost of the fares	$1,164

The rate here is illustrative only and applies to stores that pay a percentage, such as Expedia or Priceline. CheapOair works differently: ShopBack pays a fixed cash amount on eligible CheapOair bookings, so your effective price is what you pay at checkout minus that amount; the live amount is on CheapOair's ShopBack page. Check the live rate or amount on the store's ShopBack page before you book, because it varies by store and category.

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Card rewards and family flights

Your credit card's own rewards usually still apply when you book through ShopBack, because the card issuer pays them separately. Travel cards may also give free checked bags or seat perks on a specific airline, which can matter more than the fare for a family of four.

Before you rely on both, check the merchant's terms. At the time of writing, the ShopBack pages for Expedia, Priceline and CheapOair say purchases made with vouchers or promo codes not featured on ShopBack do not earn cash back. For a fuller comparison, see our cash back vs card rewards guide.

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Frequently asked questions

What's the cheapest way to get airline tickets for a family of four?

Keep your dates flexible, fly out on a Saturday and back on a Tuesday where you can, search for one seat first to see the lowest fare, compare the same flights on Expedia, Priceline and CheapOair, price a flight plus hotel bundle, and go through ShopBack US before you book so part of the cost comes back as cash.

Where can I find cheap airline tickets in 2026?

In 2026, cheap airline tickets for US families usually come from comparing the same flights across booking sites such as Expedia, Priceline and CheapOair, plus the airline's own site. Priceline says a Saturday departure and Tuesday return often gives the cheapest round trip and can save up to 30% if your dates are flexible.

Is it cheaper to book four airline tickets separately?

Sometimes. Airlines sell seats in price tiers, and a search for four seats can price everyone at the tier that still has four seats left. Search for one seat first. If the one-seat fare is lower, you can book in two smaller groups, then link the bookings with the airline so the family can sit together.

What day is cheapest to fly for a family?

According to Priceline, departing on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday can save up to 12% on US domestic airfare compared with peak days, and a Monday return can trim as much as 12%. Priceline says September is typically the cheapest month for US domestic travel, followed closely by February.

Is Expedia or Priceline cheaper for airline tickets?

Neither is cheapest on every route, so compare the same flights on both. Priceline's Express Deals offer up to 50% off retail fares when you accept hidden flight details until after booking, according to Priceline. Expedia lets you earn and use One Key rewards across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.

Does a child under 2 need their own airline ticket?

On US flights, the FAA says children who have not reached their second birthday are permitted to travel as lap children, but it strongly discourages this and recommends an approved child restraint in the child's own seat. Airlines set their own lap infant fares, especially on international routes, so check before you book.

Are flight and hotel bundles cheaper for families?

Often, yes. Priceline says bundling your flight with a hotel or rental car can tap into package pricing, and Expedia and CheapOair also sell vacation packages. Price the package against the flights and hotel booked separately for your exact dates, and go through ShopBack before you book either way.

How does ShopBack lower the cost of family airline tickets?

Before you check out, go through ShopBack to get a post-purchase discount on the order. Open the store's page on ShopBack US, tap through to Expedia, Priceline or CheapOair and book in the same visit. Once the trip is completed and confirmed, cash comes back that you can withdraw.

Can I use airline miles or card rewards with ShopBack?

Usually your credit card's own rewards still apply when you book through ShopBack, because the card issuer pays them separately. Bookings paid with vouchers or promo codes not featured on ShopBack do not earn cash back, so check the merchant's terms and the exclusions on the store's ShopBack page.

When should I book flights for a family of four?

For US domestic trips, Priceline says flight prices typically begin increasing 3 to 4 weeks before departure, then rise quickly, and for trips to Europe prices start rising about 2 weeks out. With four seats to fill, booking earlier also gives you a better chance of finding four seats at the lowest fare.

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Key takeaways

• Every saving counts four times for a family of four, so timing and comparison matter more than codes.
• Priceline says a Saturday to Tuesday round trip can save up to 30%, and September and February are the cheapest US domestic months.
• Search one seat before four to spot cheaper fare tiers.
• Compare the total for four on Expedia, Priceline, CheapOair and the airline's site, including fees.
• Go through ShopBack US before you book; your effective cost is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns.

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Related reads

Book travel through ShopBack US: Expedia · Priceline · CheapOair · Booking.com · Trip.com · Hotels.com

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Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Airfares, booking fees, programme terms and travel policies are set by airlines and booking sites and change often. Figures attributed to Priceline and the FAA are from their own pages at the time of writing. Cash back rates, categories and exclusions on ShopBack vary by store and over time and are shown on each store's ShopBack page.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.