ITA Matrix: How to Search for Cheap Airfare with Flexibility & Other Tips

I often use the ITA Software Matrix, which is one of the most useful tools to search for available flights and low fares. Google has another aggregator now that is faster than ITA Matrix–Google Flights–which is also very useful with a smoother user interface. But if you know the tricks and codes to input into ITA Matrix, you can be a lot more specific in your queries than you could be using Google Flights.

Using ITA Matrix

First, go to matrix.itasoftware.com.

Type in your home airport and destination airport. You can use airport codes like JFK (New York-JFK) or even city codes like NYC (which includes JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark.)

For this example, let’s look at JFK to Honolulu. By clicking the Advanced controls link, two extra boxes will pop up, one under the origin and one under the destination. ITA Matrix is awesome, in that you can type in all kinds of commands like which airline or even specific fare class you want to fly in these advanced control fields.

In the example above I wrote HA into the boxes, which means ITA Matrix will only return Hawaiian Airlines results. I did that because Hawaiian has a direct flight from JFK to Honolulu. If you leave that blank, all airlines will be returned.

After the cities, you can search the standard way by typing in departure and return dates or the way I prefer. I prefer to search certain length trips one month at a time for the lowest fares by selecting “See calendar of lowest fares.” I’ve asked the ITA Matrix to search for 3-8 night itineraries leaving in the month of January.

After you click “Search” you will be taken to a calendar displaying the lowest fare departing each day. You can ignore fares in light blue (though $447 is still a great price). You are targeting the cheapest days, which are in orange.

Clicking on a particular date will bring up the lowest prices departing on that date and returning 3-8 days later.

Once you have found a comfortable length of time, click to display the flight.

Unfortunately the ITA Matrix is only for finding airfares. You don’t have the ability to book directly through this site. Write down the dates and flight numbers that work for you, and book directly through the airline site or online travel agency you prefer.

I use ITA Matrix because a quick one-minute search can show me a month at a time on a specific airline or all airlines. Then I can go the airline’s site, select seats, and purchase easily.

Searching in a Foreign Currency

You can easily search for a ticket in a foreign currency using ITA Matrix. At the bottom of the search box, change the Sales City to a city in the country whose currency you want displayed.

Doing so will change the point-of-sale. Why would you want to do that? Well, tickets can be a lot cheaper. Read more in Buying Plane Tickets in Foreign Currencies.

Best Card to Purchase Airfare?

If you don’t already have a Barclaycard Arrival Plus nor have closed one in the last six months, you could open one and buy your cheap flight with it. The card comes with 50,000 Arrival miles after spending $3,000 on the card in the first three months. Arrival miles can be redeemed for 1 cent each toward any travel expense, so the bonus plus the Arrival miles you’ll earn from the spending it takes to get there (56,000) is worth $560 towards flights.

And with the Arrival Plus, you don’t even have to wait to meet the minimum spending requirement before you spend the miles. Open an Arrival Plus, put whatever cash tickets on the card you want now to help you meet the minimum spending requirement, and then redeem Arrival miles within 120 days to offset the charges. Buy your ticket to Hawaii on the Arrival Plus to help meet your minimum spending requirement you’ll still get all your money back for it if you redeem your Arrival miles on the charges later.

If you’re not eligible/don’t want to open an Arrival Plus, buy flights with premium whatever card you have travel statement credits for, like the Sapphire Reserve or Citi Prestige.

Don’t have any travel statements credits? Check out the Best Credit Card to Buy Airfare if you’re concerned with earning more rewards. Check out our series on the travel protection benefits of popular rewards cards if you’re more concerned with travel insurance.

Credit card links have been removed from posts and added to the menu bar at the top of every page of MileValue under the heading Top Travel Credit Cards

Other Valuable Resources for Finding Cheap Airfare

If you have plenty of time before your desired departure dates, then I recommend setting a price tracker through Google Flights. The handy tool will record the prices each day over time so you can eventually buy on a price dip. Read about how to track the prices of a specific flight or the prices on a specific route in How and Why to Use Google Flights Price Tracker.