There are plenty of airfare comparison sites out there, which are very helpful to ensure you get the lowest airfare for your travel.

I have tried a few, and still think Kayak.com is the best, because I can be very flexible with my search criteria, and it still returns me with very comprehensive search results.

Kayak allows for three different options to search,

1. Dates, which I use most frequently to plan around specific dates I can travel
2. Weekend, I personally don’t prefer the Weekend option, as I don’t find it very user friendly. Hence, I won’t discuss this option in this article. 
3. Month, which I use to search for the best time to travel for a given month

Search using Dates option

Say you want to plan a short weekend trip. Use the Dates option, and select Return +/- 2 days.

It returns a matrix with lowest fares for the different return dates.

Tip: You can then use the filters on the left to make better comparison to your preference, e.g. time (take off or landing), airlines, stops arrangement etc. 

You can also select +/- days for Departure dates for more options.

 

I also use the Dates option to check for longer trips, if I know for example, I want to take 2 weeks vacation end of August. I will then use Departure +/- 3 days, and Return +/- 3 days.

This returns a super matrix but isn’t it amazing!!

 

Search using Month option

Say for example, you have the whole December month free, and you want to go on a one-week holiday. Use the Month option to specify the Duration of your trip (e.g. 6-8 days), and a Start date (e.g. 1-Dec-2018).

This can be a bit tricky. It returns a first matrix showing the lowest fare for the different Departure dates.

Tips: Be smart with your filters to eliminate flights that you definitely wouldn’t consider. E.g. I set the filter for only non-stop flights. 

Select your preferred Departure date, e.g. 14-Dec-2018. And then, another pop up will appear, showing the lowest fare for the different Return dates.

Did you just get mind blown! Continue to try on different Departure & Return dates combo. Otherwise, click Find more options for the same dates at the bottom left to check out other options.

I hope this guide helps you with all your future travel planning. Do comments if you have other methods / tips / tricks. Happy traveling!

I have since used Kayak.com to help me get KUL to Europe tickets below RM 2600.