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The dates command searches for the cheapest dates to fly between two airports within a specified date range. Perfect for flexible travelers looking for the best deals.

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Syntax

fli dates ORIGIN DESTINATION [OPTIONS]

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Required arguments

  • ORIGIN - Departure airport IATA code (e.g., JFK, LAX, LHR)
  • DESTINATION - Arrival airport IATA code

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Options

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Date range

--from DATE
Start of the search date range in YYYY-MM-DD format. Default: Tomorrow 
--to DATE
End of the search date range in YYYY-MM-DD format. Default: 60 days from today Example: 
fli dates LAX MIA --from 2025-12-01 --to 2025-12-31

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Trip duration

--duration DAYS, -d DAYS
Number of days for the trip. Used for round-trip searches to calculate return dates. Default: 3 days Example: 
fli dates JFK LAX --duration 7 --round

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Round-trip toggle

--round, -R
Search for round-trip flights instead of one-way. Default: False (one-way search) Example: 
fli dates SFO NYC --round --duration 5

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Airlines

--airlines CODES, -a CODES
Filter by specific airlines using IATA codes. Provide multiple codes separated by spaces. Default: All airlines Example: 
fli dates JFK LHR --airlines BA AA

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Maximum stops

--stops STOPS, -s STOPS
Filter by maximum number of stops. Options:
  • ANY (default) - Any number of stops
  • 0 or NON_STOP - Non-stop flights only
  • 1 or ONE_STOP - Maximum one stop
  • 2+ or TWO_PLUS_STOPS - Two or more stops
Example: 
fli dates LAX JFK --stops 0

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Cabin class

--class CLASS, -c CLASS
Specify the cabin class for the search. Options:
  • ECONOMY (default)
  • PREMIUM_ECONOMY
  • BUSINESS
  • FIRST
Example: 
fli dates SFO NRT --class BUSINESS

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Sort by price

--sort
Sort results by price from lowest to highest. Default: False (chronological order) Example: 
fli dates BOS LAX --from 2025-10-01 --to 2025-10-31 --sort

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Day of week filters

Filter results to only show flights departing on specific days of the week. 
--monday, -mon      # Include Mondays
--tuesday, -tue     # Include Tuesdays
--wednesday, -wed   # Include Wednesdays
--thursday, -thu    # Include Thursdays
--friday, -fri      # Include Fridays
--saturday, -sat    # Include Saturdays
--sunday, -sun      # Include Sundays
Default: All days included Example (weekend departures only): 
fli dates JFK LAX --friday --saturday --sunday
Example (weekday departures only): 
fli dates LAX JFK --monday --tuesday --wednesday --thursday --friday

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Departure time window

--time RANGE
Filter flights by departure time using 24-hour format. Specify as START-END (e.g., 6-20 for 6 AM to 8 PM). Default: Any time Example: 
fli dates SFO BOS --time 6-12

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Examples

fli dates LAX MIA
Searches for the cheapest one-way flights from Los Angeles to Miami over the next 60 days.

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Specific date range

fli dates JFK LHR --from 2025-12-01 --to 2025-12-31
Searches for flights in December 2025.

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Weekend getaway

fli dates SFO LAX --friday --saturday --sunday --duration 3 --round
Searches for 3-day round-trip weekend getaways departing on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

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Business class week-long trip

fli dates JFK NRT --class BUSINESS --duration 7 --round --from 2025-11-01 --to 2025-11-30
Searches for 7-day round-trip business class flights to Tokyo in November.

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Non-stop flights sorted by price

fli dates LAX JFK --stops 0 --sort
Searches for non-stop flights, showing the cheapest dates first.

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Midweek departures with specific airlines

fli dates BOS MIA --tuesday --wednesday --thursday --airlines AA DL --sort
Searches for Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday departures on American or Delta, sorted by price.

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Morning flights for a long trip

fli dates LAX SYD --time 6-12 --duration 14 --round --class PREMIUM_ECONOMY
Searches for 14-day round-trip premium economy flights with morning departures.

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Complete example with all filters

fli dates JFK LAX \
  --from 2025-10-01 \
  --to 2025-10-31 \
  --duration 5 \
  --round \
  --class ECONOMY \
  --stops 0 \
  --airlines AA DL UA \
  --friday --saturday \
  --time 8-18 \
  --sort
Searches for:
  • Round-trip flights from JFK to LAX
  • 5-day trips in October 2025
  • Economy class, non-stop only
  • American, Delta, or United only
  • Friday or Saturday departures
  • Daytime flights (8 AM - 6 PM)
  • Results sorted by price

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Output format

The command displays results with a price trend chart followed by a detailed table: 
Price Trend

800 ┤                                    ╭╮
750 ┤                          ╭╮       ││
700 ┤                    ╭╮    ││╭╮    ╭╯│
650 ┤              ╭╮    ││╭╮  │││╰╮   │ │
600 ┤        ╭╮    ││╭╮  │││╰╮╭╯│  │  ╭╯ │
550 ┼────────╯╰────╯│╰──╯││ ╰╯ │  ╰──╯  ╰
    └──────────────────────────────────────
        Date

╭─ Cheapest Dates to Fly ──────────────────────────────╮
│ Departure  │ Day       │ Return     │ Day       │ Price      │
├────────────┼───────────┼────────────┼───────────┼────────────┤
│ 2025-10-03 │ Friday    │ 2025-10-06 │ Monday    │ $524.80    │
│ 2025-10-10 │ Friday    │ 2025-10-13 │ Monday    │ $548.60    │
│ 2025-10-17 │ Friday    │ 2025-10-20 │ Monday    │ $612.40    │
│ 2025-10-24 │ Friday    │ 2025-10-27 │ Monday    │ $689.20    │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
For one-way searches, the table shows:
  • Departure date and day of week
  • Price
For round-trip searches, the table also includes:
  • Return date and day of week
The price trend chart helps visualize the best times to fly within your date range.

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Understanding results

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One-way vs round-trip

One-way searches return individual departure dates with their prices. Round-trip searches return departure dates paired with return dates based on your specified duration. For example, with --duration 7, a departure on October 1st will show a return on October 8th.

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Day filters

Day of week filters apply to the departure date only. For round-trip searches, the return date is automatically calculated based on the duration. 
fli dates JFK LAX --friday --duration 7 --round
This finds trips departing on Fridays with returns 7 days later (the following Friday).

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Sorting

By default, results are shown in chronological order (earliest departure first). Use --sort to see the cheapest options first, regardless of date.

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Error handling

The command validates inputs and provides clear error messages: Invalid date format: 
Error: Date must be in YYYY-MM-DD format
Invalid airport code: 
Error: Invalid airport code: XYZ
No flights found: 
No flights found for these dates.
No flights on selected days: 
No flights found for the selected days.

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Tips

Use day filters to find weekend getaways:
fli dates JFK MIA --friday --saturday --duration 3 --round
Combine --sort with day filters to find the absolute cheapest dates on your preferred days:
fli dates LAX NYC --tuesday --wednesday --thursday --sort
For business trips, filter to weekday departures and returns:
fli dates BOS SFO --monday --tuesday --wednesday --duration 3 --round
Once you find a good date, use the flights command to see specific flight options:
fli dates LAX JFK --sort  # Find cheapest date
fli flights LAX JFK 2025-10-15  # Search specific date

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