“Permanent” Travel Membership Worth the Money
Going , a travel deals website (formerly known as Scott’s Cheap Flights), currently offers memberships up to 60% off. Here’s what each membership has to offer and how to find out if it’s worth the money for you.
What’s happening?
Going is a membership-based travel website that sends out newsletters to members with flight offers to over 900 destinations. You can find offers with discounts ranging from 40% to 90% off their regular prices. There are three membership levels: Limited, Premium and Elite. Your membership level will determine how many travel offers will reach your inbox. Limited is a free tier with, as the name suggests, very limited offerings, but the other two plans have 14-day free trials that you can try before committing.
Here’s what each membership level gives you:
Limited, Free :
- A small selection of offers for economy class tickets for international flights, 1-2 days after they are discovered.
- Can track five departure airports in the US (but you can’t filter flights in any other way)
Premium, $49/year (prior to deal):
- Immediate notification of international and domestic economy class transactions
- Rare fare error alerts from your airport (when airlines misprice a flight)
- Weekend travel alerts (for flights departing within the next month)
- Ability to filter received alerts
- Can track up to 10 US airports.
Elite, $199/year (before deal):
- All in Premium
- All erroneous tariffs Going finds
- Discounts on all ticket classes
- Unlimited number of departure airports
- Discounts on award flights (when booked with points)
- Priority support
You can see the full breakdown of each level here .
After creating an account, you will select your home airport and will be able to view destination suggestions with route information. You’ll even be shown what the average price is for that destination, what’s historically been the best deal for that location, and what your deal is worth.
I chose my home airport in Atlanta and found this route in Guatemala City, Guatemala for $343 compared to the regular price of $605 (43% off). It also shows that the average deal price for this route is $306 and the best deal was $110. It also links to Google Flights with flight information already loaded, so you can easily book your flight there or directly with JetBlue.
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What is the deal
The current agreement Going , calculated until August 31, is timed to coincide with their eight-year anniversary. Premium and Elite levels provide membership for a period of one, two or five years. The longer you sign up for a membership, the bigger discount you will get.
Premium Membership:
- $39.99 for 1 year membership (usually $49)
- $54.99 for a two-year membership (usually $98)
- $129.99 for a 5-year membership (usually $245)
Elite Membership:
- $124.99 for 1 year membership (usually $199)
- $249.99 for a two-year membership (usually $398)
- $499.99 for 5-year membership (usually $995)
Why Going can be worth the money
The obvious disadvantage is that you must be a member of the club for at least a year. (However, you can sign up for a 14-day trial and, if you like what you see, buy a membership, but note that you’ll have to do so before August 31st if you want this deal.) However, if you If you know that you travel abroad at least once a year, a Premium or Elite membership will pay off from the first trip. If you don’t travel that often, then a limited membership might be best for you (remember, you can still try the other two for free if you’re only looking for one great deal).
No matter how often you travel abroad, if you’re only flying Economy Class, there’s no point in purchasing an Elite membership. However, if you like to fly first class, business class or premium economy, or use points or miles to fly, then it’s worth considering.
The Anniversary Agreement makes Going membership an even better deal. If you’re a flexible traveler, meaning you value an offer more than a specific destination, and can schedule your travels fairly easily, then Going will save you a lot of time searching for travel deals. You can read more about Going and how it works here .