How to Set Flight Price Alerts That Actually Save You Money (5-Minute Setup)

Refare Team
Feb 5
6 min read

TL;DR: Traditional flight price alerts (Google Flights, Skyscanner) are just the beginning. They notify you when prices drop, but then you're stuck rebooking manually and fighting with airlines for refunds.

The real 5-minute setup?

Forward your flight confirmation email to Refare, and let AI handle the monitoring, negotiation, and refunds automatically. You get instant cash back when prices drop, without lifting a finger.

The Problem with Traditional Flight Price Alerts

Let's be honest: you've probably tried setting up flight price alerts before. Maybe you used Google Flights or Skyscanner, dutifully entered your travel dates, and clicked "Notify me when prices drop."

Then what happened?

You got bombarded with emails. Some were helpful. Most weren't. And even when you spotted a legitimate price drop, you faced the real headache: rebooking your flight and fighting with the airline for the difference.

Here's what the traditional alert process actually looks like:

Too many notifications: You'll receive alerts for every minor fluctuation, $5 here, $3 there, which creates alert fatigue
Manual rebooking required: When a significant drop happens, you need to cancel your original booking, rebook the cheaper flight, and deal with change fees
Limited refund windows: Most airlines only allow changes within specific timeframes, and you'll miss opportunities if you're not constantly checking
No guarantee of savings: By the time you act on the alert, prices might have already bounced back up

Traditional alerts are essentially homework assignments. They tell you what to do, but you still have to do all the work. And let's face it, you booked that flight so you could stop thinking about it, not so you could monitor it like a stock portfolio.

The Refare 5-Minute Setup (That Actually Does the Work)

Ready for the actual 5-minute setup that saves you money without the stress?

Here's the entire process:

1. Book your flight (anywhere, any airline)

2. Forward your confirmation email to Refare

3. That's it.

Seriously. The "setup" is literally just forwarding an email. You can do it from your phone while you're still celebrating your vacation plans.

Once Refare receives your confirmation, here's what happens automatically:

Continuous monitoring: Our AI tracks your flight price 24/7, checking dozens of times per day across multiple booking channels
Instant negotiation: When prices drop, Refare immediately negotiates with the airline on your behalf
Automatic refunds: You receive the price difference as an instant cash refund or loyalty points, no rebooking, no change fees, no phone calls

No alerts to ignore. No manual work. No stress. Just effortless savings that appear in your account like magic.

Compare that to the traditional alert workflow:

Traditional Alerts	Refare
Setup alerts before booking	Forward email after booking
Monitor alerts constantly	Never think about it again
Manually rebook when prices drop	Automatic refunds when prices drop
Pay change fees	No fees, just savings
Fight with airline customer service	AI handles all negotiations

The difference? Traditional alerts give you information. Refare gives you money.

Why Refare Beats Every Other Alert System

Let's talk about what makes Refare different from every other flight price tool you've tried.

It Works After You've Already Booked

Traditional alert systems only work before you book. They're useless once you've committed to a flight. But here's the secret: prices drop after booking far more often than you think. Airlines constantly adjust fares based on demand, competition, and seat inventory.

Refare monitors your already-booked flights, which means you're not stuck with the price you paid. If the fare drops by $50, $100, or even $500, you get that money back.

It Doesn't Just Alert, It Acts

Google Flights will send you an email. Refare sends you money.

When our AI detects a price drop, it doesn't wait for you to notice. It immediately:

Verifies the new fare is legitimate and available
Initiates the refund request with the airline
Negotiates using the new DOT automatic refund rules
Processes your instant savings

You wake up to a notification that says "Congrats! You just saved $127 on your flight." That's it. No action required on your end.

It's Completely Hands-Off

The beauty of Refare is that you literally forget it exists until you get paid.

No apps to check. No alerts to manage. No accounts to log into. Just forward your confirmation email once, and the AI does everything else. It's the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it system for travelers who have better things to do than monitor airfare fluctuations.

It Guarantees Instant Refunds

Here's where most "alert" services fall apart: they tell you when prices drop, but they don't guarantee you'll actually get the savings.

Refare guarantees your refund. If we find a lower price after you book, we negotiate with the airline and secure your money back: either as cash or loyalty points, depending on your preference. And we only take a small fee (25%) when we successfully save you money. If we don't find savings, you pay nothing.

That's what makes this an automatic airfare refund service, not just an alert system.

How to Set Up Refare in Under 5 Minutes

Ready to stop doing homework and start getting automatic refunds? Here's your step-by-step setup:

Step 1: Book your flight with your preferred airline or booking platform (Refare works with all major U.S. carriers)

Step 2: Check your email for the flight confirmation

Step 3: Forward that confirmation to Refare (or connect your inbox for fully automated monitoring)

Step 4: Sit back and let the AI do the work

That's genuinely it. No credit card required upfront. No complicated forms. No app downloads. Just forward an email and you're done.

If you want even more hands-off convenience, you can connect your entire email inbox to Refare. The system will automatically detect every flight confirmation you receive and start monitoring them without you having to forward anything manually.

It's like having a personal travel assistant who only gets paid when they save you money.

What About Traditional Alerts? Should You Still Use Them?

Look, we're not saying traditional flight price alerts are useless. If you haven't booked your flight yet and you're flexible with dates, tools like Google Flights and Skyscanner are great for pre-booking research.

Use them to:

Scout for the best initial prices before you commit
Identify the cheapest travel dates if your schedule is flexible
Compare different airports and routes

But here's the key: once you book, traditional alerts stop helping you. That's where Refare takes over.

Think of it this way:

Traditional alerts = Pre-booking savings
Refare = Post-booking savings

For maximum savings, use both strategies. Set up alerts before booking to find a great initial price, then forward your confirmation to Refare to ensure you get the absolute best deal: even after you've clicked "Purchase."

It's the difference between being smart about your first booking and being guaranteed to get the lowest price, period.

Bottom Line: Stop Monitoring, Start Saving

Setting up flight price alerts shouldn't feel like adding another job to your to-do list. Traditional alert systems give you information, but they still leave all the work: and all the risk: on your shoulders.

The Refare 5-minute setup is different: forward your flight confirmation email, and you're done. Our AI monitors prices 24/7, negotiates with airlines automatically, and delivers instant cash refunds when prices drop. You literally never have to think about it again.

No more alert fatigue. No more manual rebooking. No more fighting with customer service. Just effortless, guaranteed savings on flights you've already booked.

Ready to set up the only flight price alert that actually pays you? Get started with Refare today: it takes less than 5 minutes, and there's no credit card required.

Happy travels (and happy savings)!

Quick Summary:

The Problem: Traditional flight price alerts (Google Flights, Skyscanner) only notify you of price drops: they don't actually get you the refund, and they require constant manual effort
The Solution: Refare's 5-minute setup is literally just forwarding your flight confirmation email after you book
Why It's Better: Refare doesn't just alert you: it automatically negotiates with airlines and delivers instant cash refunds when prices drop, with zero work required from you
Key Takeaway: Use traditional alerts for pre-booking research, then use Refare for guaranteed post-booking savings. It's the only way to ensure you get the absolute lowest price, even after you've already clicked "Purchase."