"Going vs. Skiplagged" is one of the most common matchups people search, but it's a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison. One is a deal-alert subscription; the other is a fare-search tool for a specific booking trick. Knowing which job you're trying to do makes the choice obvious.
What Going does
Going, formerly Scott's Cheap Flights, is a deal-alert service. You tell it your home airport(s), and its team plus algorithms hunt for unusually cheap fares and mistake fares, then email them to you. You're not searching - you're being notified when a good normal fare appears. It runs on a freemium model: a free Limited tier, Premium (around $49/year), and Elite (around $199/year, which adds premium-cabin and award deals). It shines if you have flexibility on destination and dates and want someone else to do the watching. The catch: you can't force it to find a deal to a specific city on specific dates - you take what comes.
What Skiplagged does
Skiplagged is a search engine built around hidden city ticketing. You search a route, and it surfaces itineraries where a connecting fare to a city beyond your destination is cheaper than flying there directly - you simply get off at the layover. It charges a small per-booking fee. It's the tool when you need a particular city and suspect a hidden city ticket beats the nonstop. The catch: hidden city tickets come with rules and risks - carry-on only, one-way only, no loyalty number - covered fully in our hidden city flights guide and legality guide.
Side by side
| Going | Skiplagged | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Deal-alert subscription | Hidden city search engine |
| Best for | Flexible travelers, "surprise me" deals | A specific city where hidden city beats nonstop |
| Fare type | Normal round-trips + mistake fares | Hidden city / throwaway tickets |
| Cost | Free / ~$49 / ~$199 per year | Small per-booking fee |
| Effort | Passive - deals come to you | Active - you search a route |
| Risk | None (standard tickets) | Airline-policy risk (carry-on only, one-way) |
Which should you choose?
Choose Going if you fly a few times a year from a consistent home airport, you're open on where to go, and you'd rather be alerted than search. One strong Premium alert often covers the membership cost.
Choose Skiplagged if you have a fixed destination - especially a major hub (see our best airports for hidden city fares) - and you're willing to travel carry-on only to capture a hidden city saving.
Use both if you want full coverage: Going for opportunistic getaways, Skiplagged for specific must-go trips.
Or skip the either/or
FareFinderAI compares normal fares, hidden city routings, split tickets, and cashback options in one free search - so you see the cheapest path without juggling tools.
Search Cheap Flights Free →Frequently asked questions
Bottom line: Going tells you when a cheap fare appears; Skiplagged finds a fare type others hide. Match the tool to the trip - or let one search cover both.