Finding amazing bargain flights can be an art form. Now this new flight-search tool has actually turned it into one.
Escape is a colourful, interactive map that helps you search the cheapest flights from your hometown to anywhere in the world on specific dates. The routes that pop up on the map and are colour-coded depending on the cost, perfect for getting inspiration when you’re not sure when you want to go.
As well as filtering by budget or by direct flights, there are also some very handy add-ons. If you like to go with the crowd (or against it) you can also see which are the most popular or unpopular routes on the date. You can state your preference for weather conditions or visa requirements for your nationality too.
The site scans other flight comparison tools like Skyscanner and Kiwi to pull up the data in a more aesthetically-pleasing way. It was developed by the MIT Senseable City Laboratory, a group of multi-disciplinary researchers who aim to develop tools that are both useful and designed well. The new search engine came about as part of a research project in Singapore.
If your travel dates are more flexible, then currently Escape may not be as useful as you can only search one date at a time. However, there have been four improvement updates in less than six weeks so it’s worth checking back to see if this feature is added in the future. The option to see a one-way flight is already an add-on which they say was the number one most requested feature.
