Hipmunk and Kayak launch tools to help you fly cheap

How many times have you been delighted to find out Virgin America was having a $90 sale on the exact, last-minute flight you needed to take? Hipmunk wants to make sure those moments are easier to come by, releasing a new page today called “Flight Deals” that lists flight promotions for you to checking before booking your flight.

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It’s a pretty simple site. You choose your city from a drop list, and then any available deals for round-trip tickets pop up, with the price and arrival city. From there you can either click to see flight times and other details, or you can subscribe to that departure city to see future deals.

While it’s not exactly original, it’s a helpful little tool for Hipmunk-lovers and is particularly useful if you’re one of those people who like to take a spontaneous weekend to L.A.

Kayak also earlier this week launched its “price forecast,” which helps predict whether your flight’s price will go up or down based on past data and market trends.

“Our forecasts are based on mathematical models using data from gazillions of search requests,” Kayak said in its announcement. “Since they’re based on past history, not voodoo, we show the statistical confidence of these models — which should give you more confidence when you book, too.”

Finding the best deal is one of the biggest pain points of air travel. While these may not completely ease the pain, tools like these are a good way to help you save a buck.

Plane image via Shutterstock