Figured out I was booking flights wrong after my cousin showed me her receipt
I spent like 4 years just using Google Flights and booking wherever it sent me. Then my cousin visited from Chicago and her round trip was $180 less than mine for the same weekend. She showed me she booked through a different airline site directly and then used a separate budget carrier for the return leg. I always thought mixing airlines would make it way more expensive, but splitting the trip saved her a ton. Now I check individual airline sites plus budget carriers separately before committing. Has anyone else noticed big savings by booking one-way tickets with different airlines instead of a round trip?