What Secret Flying is, how mistake-fare alerts work, why they vanish, and how to book the airline fast without sketchy OTAs.
Key takeaways
- Yes as an optional alert inbox if you are flexible and can book in minutes.
- Secret Flying is a deal-alert site and newsletter for mistake fares and deep error-style discounts — not an OTA and not a metasearch checkout.
- As a publisher of deal alerts, yes — a known fare-alert brand founded in 2014 by Tarik Allag, not a payment processor.
- When a true error fare is live on the airline, it can undercut every normal search.
- Secret Flying and Going are discovery inboxes.
How to book a Secret Flying deal without a sketchy OTA
Treat the alert as a heads-up, open the airline first, and only then use a named OTA or metasearch if the carrier does not show the fare — never a comment-section agency.
- Read the alert: origin, destination, dates, airline, and whether it is a true error fare or a deep sale.
- Search the airline site immediately; if the fare is there, book it on a credit card and wait for the e-ticket.
- If the airline does not show it, try one named path — Trip.com or a metasearch such as Aviasales — not an unknown Skyscanner click-out.
- Do not buy non-refundable hotels until the airline locator appears in the carrier app. If it is gone, it is gone.
Should you use Secret Flying in 2026?
Yes as an optional alert inbox if you are flexible and can book in minutes. No as a checkout — Secret Flying does not take your money or issue tickets. You still book the airline or named OTA in the deal. We are not affiliated; Aviasales, Trip.com and Kiwi are bookable partner paths after you verify.
Treat every drop as a heads-up, not a reservation. The rest of this guide is how to ticket the posted fare on the airline before a comment-section agency or a lookalike “booking” page gets there first.
What is Secret Flying and how does it work?
Secret Flying is a deal-alert site and newsletter for mistake fares and deep error-style discounts — not an OTA and not a metasearch checkout. It tells you a fare appeared. You still have to find a bookable seat on an airline or a reputable agency before it is gone. We are not affiliated with Secret Flying.
That is the same job class as Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) or a well-run fare account on X: discovery, not fulfilment. If a post says “book via this random OTA”, apply the same Gotogate-level scepticism as our Skyscanner booking section. The deeper playbook is mistake fares.
Aviasales, Trip.com and Kiwi links on this page are for when you need a bookable path after you have verified the fare — discovery then airline or named OTA. We never treat Secret Flying as a partner checkout. Do not enter card details on a lookalike “secret flying booking” page.
Speed is the product. Have airline apps logged in, a credit card that works, and a rule: if the airline does not show the fare in two searches, you missed it. Do not “make it work” with a Kiwi self-transfer that lands at a different airport. Do not buy non-refundable hotels until the e-ticket issues and the airline locator appears in the carrier app. Error fares get cancelled; your hotel will not care that a blog told you the flight was real.
Secret Flying does not take your money. Refunds and changes sit with whoever you booked with — the airline named in the deal, or a named OTA if you chose that path on purpose. The rest of this guide is the checklist for that handoff. We are not affiliated with Secret Flying.
| Model | Who you pay | Who issues the ticket | Who helps when things go wrong | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secret Flying (publisher) | Nobody for the alert | Nobody — it does not ticket | Nobody for the booking — there is none | A newsletter drop |
| Airline after the alert | The airline | The airline | The airline | qatarairways.com showing the error bucket |
| Named OTA after the alert | Trip.com or similar | The OTA | The OTA, then the airline for ops | Only if the airline site is empty |
| Comment-section / WhatsApp “agent” | A stranger | Maybe nobody | Nobody you want | Walk away |
Is Secret Flying legit?
As a publisher of deal alerts, yes — a known fare-alert brand founded in 2014 by Tarik Allag, not a payment processor. Do not enter card details on a lookalike booking page. The risk is the fare dying, the airline cancelling, or a comment-section OTA — not Secret Flying charging you for a ticket it does not issue.
If anyone DMs you a payment link because you commented on a deal, that is a scam. Open the airline site yourself. Fake “Secret Flying booking” domains are the phishing version of the OTA fake-hotline scam. Secret Flying is a publisher, not a payment processor.
We do not invent Trustpilot stars for Secret Flying. It is not the merchant. Read the live site, then judge the bookable path. Gotogate at 2.6/5 from ~151,000 reviews (12 Aug 2026) is why we still say no to mystery OTAs even when an alert is real. Trip.com at 4.4/5 from ~193,000 is a named OTA if the airline is empty — still an OTA contract. Searching secretflying.com is safe. Paying a lookalike checkout is not.
Are Secret Flying deals actually the cheapest?
When a true error fare is live on the airline, it can undercut every normal search. When the drop is a deep sale, Google Flights may already show it. When the post is stale, the cheap bucket is gone. We do not invent example fares — open the airline immediately and believe checkout, not the screenshot.
Google Flights tracking will not reliably catch true mistake fares first. That is why alert blogs exist. It is also why best time to book and mistake-fare hunting are different tactics — do not mix the calendars. A Tuesday Heathrow–New York you must fly next month is a Google Flights problem, not a Secret Flying problem.
If the only bookable path is an unknown OTA £400 below the airline, treat it as a claim to verify, not a bargain to grab. That is the Skyscanner cheap-click lesson with a countdown clock. We do not invent example fares — open the airline immediately and believe checkout, not the screenshot. Aviasales is a second grid once you know the city pair; Trip.com is a named OTA if the carrier is empty; Kiwi is a substitute only if you accept that product.
Secret Flying vs Going vs Google Flights vs the airline?
Secret Flying and Going are discovery inboxes. Google Flights is the dated-search and tracking layer. The airline is the booking path. Aviasales is a second search grid. Trip.com is a named OTA if the airline is empty. Kiwi is a creative substitute — usually a different product. Use the inbox to wake up; use the airline to pay.
Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) mixes mistake fares with curated sales and has a paid tier. Secret Flying is free and error-fare flavoured. Neither tickets you. See mistake fares and Google Flights. Use the inbox to wake up; use the airline to pay. Aviasales is a second search grid. Trip.com is a named OTA if the airline is empty. Kiwi is a creative substitute — usually a different product.
| Tool | Job | Not the job |
|---|---|---|
| Secret Flying | Wake you up when an error-style fare appears | Taking your card |
| Going | Curated deal inbox, including some mistake fares | A guaranteed ticket |
| Google Flights | Date grids, tracking, airline-direct baseline | Catching every glitch in time |
| Airline site | Ticketing, miles, changes | Finding a glitch you were not searching |
| Aviasales / Trip.com | Second grid / named OTA if airline is empty | Mystery comment OTAs |
How do you book a Secret Flying deal without getting burned?
Open the airline first. Match origin, destination, dates and fare class. If the airline does not show it, try one trusted OTA (Trip.com) or a metasearch (Aviasales) — not an unknown Skyscanner click-out. If it is gone, it is gone. Do not buy a “similar” routing that is actually a self-transfer. Screenshot fare rules before payment.
Kiwi will happily build a creative substitute that is not the mistake fare. That can still be useful, but it is a different product with self-transfer risk. Read Kiwi before you accept it.
Have passport names ready. Error fares die while you hunt a middle name. Do not discuss the deal in public comments with your email attached — impersonators scrape those threads. Open the airline first. If the airline does not show it, try one named path — Trip.com or a metasearch such as Aviasales — not an unknown Skyscanner click-out and not a comment-section agency.
Do not buy non-refundable hotels until the e-ticket issues and the airline locator appears in the carrier app. Error fares get cancelled; your hotel will not care that a blog told you the flight was real. Screenshot fare rules before payment. If it is gone, it is gone — do not “make it work” with a routing that lands at a different airport.
- Airline site first, always
- Screenshot the fare rules before payment
- Assume the ticket can be cancelled by the airline — budget a backup
- Never pay via a WhatsApp “agent” who saw the same post
How do you book the fare without getting burned?
Pay the airline on a UK credit card over £100 where you can. Wait for the e-ticket and the airline locator before you buy hotels. If you must use an OTA, use a named one such as Trip.com. Walk away from comment OTAs, huge undercuts, and self-transfers dressed as the posted deal.
Section 75: Which?. ATOL: CAA. An error fare is usually a flight-only e-ticket — not a package. ATOL will not save a cancelled glitch. The airline’s contract and your card are the stack.
Do not tell yourself Secret Flying “honours” fares. Secret Flying does not ticket. Airlines sometimes honour error fares and sometimes cancel them. Budget a refundable hotel or wait. Pay the airline on a UK credit card over £100 where you can. If you must use an OTA, use a named one such as Trip.com. Walk away from comment OTAs, huge undercuts, and self-transfers dressed as the posted deal.
- E-ticket in the airline app before non-refundable hotels
- Named merchant only — airline or Trip.com
- No Kiwi self-transfer substitutes unless you accept that product
- No comment-section OTAs
| You booked | Typical protection | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Airline direct after the alert, e-ticket issued | Airline T&Cs + your card | Section 75 if UK credit card over £100; wait for the locator |
| Named OTA (e.g. Trip.com), e-ticket issued | OTA T&Cs + your card — often no ATOL | Prefer this only if the airline site was empty |
| Package you added yourself (flight + hotel) | ATOL only if a UK holder certificated it | Do not buy non-refundable hotels until the flight tickets |
| Unknown OTA from comments / WhatsApp agent | Card scheme only, if that | Walk away |
When is Secret Flying NOT the right tool?
When you need a specific flight on specific dates next month, use Google Flights tracking instead. Skip the drop if you cannot move in the next twenty minutes, or if the only bookable path is an OTA you would not otherwise trust. Must-not-fail trips and award planning do not belong in an error-fare inbox.
Flexible long weekends and “I can leave from any UK airport” travellers are the people error-fare inboxes are for. Everyone else will hate the miss rate. When you need a specific flight on specific dates next month, use Google Flights tracking instead. Skip the drop if you cannot move in the next twenty minutes, or if the only bookable path is an OTA you would not otherwise trust.
- Fixed dates next month → Google Flights track
- Cannot book in the next 20 minutes → skip the drop
- Only path is an unknown OTA → walk away
- Wedding / funeral / same-day meeting → airline published fares
- Award tickets → airline.com
What sits next to Secret Flying — hotels, cars, other inboxes?
Secret Flying does not sell hotels or cars. After a ticketed error fare, book refundable stays on Booking.com or wait until the locator is solid. Other inboxes (Going, fare accounts on X) do the same discovery job. Google Flights and Aviasales remain the search layer. Do not bundle a non-refundable villa onto an unhonoured glitch.
If you need a car or an eSIM, those are separate checkouts after the flight exists. Kiwi Nomad is not “the Secret Flying version of the routing” — it is a different product. Secret Flying does not sell hotels or cars. After a ticketed error fare, book refundable stays on Booking.com or Trip.com, or wait until the locator is solid. Do not bundle a non-refundable villa onto an unhonoured glitch.
What Secret Flying tips do most people miss?
Log into airline apps before the alert. Keep a card that works internationally. Search nearby airports. Do not announce your booking in comments. Screenshot rules. Wait for the locator before hotels. Pair one Google Flights track on routes you actually need so you are not living on adrenaline drops.
Flexibility is the real hack: any London airport, midweek, one stop. If you cannot be flexible, Secret Flying will mostly be entertainment. That is allowed — just do not rearrange a non-refundable life around a rumour. Log into airline apps before the alert. Keep a card that works internationally. Search nearby airports. Do not announce your booking in comments.
Screenshot rules. Wait for the locator before hotels. Pair one Google Flights track on routes you actually need so you are not living on adrenaline drops. Ignore DMs offering to “ticket it for you”. Read mistake fares before you rearrange leave. A Kiwi substitute is not the posted fare.
- Airline apps logged in, card ready
- Airline site first, named OTA second, never comments
- No non-refundable hotels until the PNR shows in the airline app
- Ignore DMs offering to “ticket it for you”
- Read mistake fares before you rearrange leave
- Kiwi substitute ≠ the posted fare
What are the best Secret Flying alternatives?
Going for a curated paid inbox. Google Flights for tracking specific dates. Airline apps for flash sales you already follow. Aviasales and Skyscanner for a second grid once you know the city pair. Trip.com if you need a named OTA. None of them replace the airline as the default pay button on an error fare.
Use whichever inbox you will actually open. Two inboxes is enough; twelve is noise. Guides: mistake fares, Google Flights, Trip.com. None of them replace the airline as the default pay button on an error fare. Aviasales is a second grid once you know the city pair. Kiwi is a creative substitute you must understand first.
| Alternative | Use it when | Skip it when |
|---|---|---|
| Going | You want curated sales plus some mistake fares | You need a specific dated trip now |
| Google Flights | Fixed route, tracking, date grid | True glitch hunting in the next ten minutes |
| Airline apps / email | Carriers you already fly | You only hear about errors from alert blogs |
| Aviasales | Second grid after the alert | Paying an unknown handoff |
| Trip.com | Named OTA if airline inventory is empty | The airline is selling the same seat |
Who is Secret Flying NOT for?
Skip the inbox if you cannot be flexible, cannot book immediately, need a must-not-fail itinerary, or will be tempted by comment OTAs. Secret Flying is not customer service — there is no ticket to service. Flexible, fast travellers are the audience. Everyone else should track Google Flights and go to bed.
If error-fare culture makes you anxious, unsubscribe. Missing a £200 transatlantic rumour is cheaper than a cancelled glitch plus a non-refundable hotel.
- Inflexible dates
- Must-not-fail trips
- People who will pay a WhatsApp agent
- Anyone who thinks Secret Flying issues tickets
Should you use Secret Flying?
Yes as an optional alert layer if you are flexible and fast. No as a booking site. Confirm on the airline, skip mystery OTAs, and read our mistake-fare guide before you rearrange your life for a transatlantic rumour. We are not affiliated with Secret Flying. Aviasales, Trip.com and Kiwi are the bookable partner paths — airline first.
The people who get burned paid a comment OTA, booked a hotel too soon, or treated a Kiwi stitch as the posted fare. Secret Flying belongs in an optional inbox if you are flexible and fast. It does not belong in your checkout tabs, because it has no checkout.
Continue with mistake fares, Google Flights and Trip.com. After a ticketed fare, hotel guides and travel resources cover stays and insurance with the same tested approach.
Who owns Secret Flying?
Secret Flying is a private deal-alert publisher founded in 2014 by Tarik Allag. It is not an airline, not an OTA, and not part of Trip.com Group or eDreams ODIGEO. We do not treat it as a booking partner. A live about page still does not make Secret Flying the merchant on your card.
Public profiles describe Allag as founder; the site publishes error-fare explainers in its own glossary (Secret Flying — what is an error fare). Revenue for alert sites often includes referral links when you click out — that is why we still say book the airline yourself rather than whatever shop the post highlights.
We are not affiliated with Secret Flying. Do not confuse a publisher with lastminute.com, eDreams or Trip.com.
How do I speak to a human at Secret Flying?
You generally cannot get booking support from Secret Flying, because it did not take the booking. Site or newsletter issues go to whatever contact the official secretflying.com page lists. Changes, cancellations and honour questions belong to the airline or OTA on your confirmation. Ignore third-party pages advertising a Secret Flying phone number or “booking desk”.
The fake-number scam follows popular travel brands. Secret Flying is popular enough to impersonate. If a caller offers to rebook your error fare, hang up and open the airline app. There is no Secret Flying PNR. Site or newsletter issues go to whatever contact the official secretflying.com page lists. Changes belong to the airline or OTA on your confirmation.
Will the airline honour a Secret Flying error fare?
Sometimes. Airlines sometimes ticket and keep error fares; sometimes they cancel and refund. Secret Flying does not control that. Do not spend the saving until the e-ticket is in the airline app. Miles credit only if it is a revenue ticket the programme accepts. Award space is unrelated. Budget a backup itinerary on published fares.
Secret Flying’s own glossary discusses honour rates in general terms; treat any percentage you see on a marketing page as the publisher’s claim, not a contract with Qatar or BA. Your contract is the ticket. When booking direct wins still applies after the adrenaline fades. Do not spend the saving until the e-ticket is in the airline app. Miles credit only if it is a revenue ticket the programme accepts.
How do I cancel a flight I found via Secret Flying?
Cancel with the airline or OTA named on the confirmation — not with Secret Flying, which never ticketed you. Error-fare tickets can be non-refundable and still get cancelled by the airline; those are different events. Read the fare rules you screenshotted. Section 75 may apply if the merchant fails; ATOL usually does not cover flight-only e-tickets.
Section 75: Which?. ATOL: CAA. If you used Trip.com, cancel with Trip.com. If you used the airline, use the airline app. If you paid a WhatsApp agent, you may have no ticket — that is the warning at the top of this guide. Secret Flying never ticketed you, so it cannot unwind a booking it does not have.
Evidence note
How we checked this guide
Research basis
Structured desk research with 1 relevant primary or independent source linked below.
Experience standard
No first-hand test or trip is implied unless the article explicitly states who tested it, when and under what conditions.
Review date
Editorially reviewed on 12 August 2026. Time-sensitive prices, rules and eligibility must be checked again before purchase or travel.
Commercial independence
Commercial links do not determine the verdict. A commissioned link activates only when it is visibly labelled before the click.
See the editorial policy, method notes, or report a correction.