How to Find Cheap Airfare Tickets
By Isaiah David
Whether you are taking a family vacation, a golf outing or a business trip, travel is not cheap. Hotel accommodations, golf fees, restaurant prices and other vacation perks add up quickly. If you can save money by finding cheap airfare tickets, it will allow you more vacation luxury for lower costs.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Decide what you want to spend on tickets. Airlines change ticket prices suddenly, so you need to be ready to grab the right ticket for the right price as soon as it appears. If you don't know how much you should pay, watch ticket prices for a couple weeks to get a good idea of the cost.
Schedule your trip so you can travel on less expensive days. If you can, travel in fall, which is the cheapest season. You can also save money by traveling on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Try to find "red eye" flights late at night or early in the morning, since these flights are usually cheapest. Avoid leaving or returning on Saturdays, since they are the most popular travel day.
Go to online travel agent websites. One of the best sites is Kayak, because it looks at the other travel sites and compares ticket prices, letting you easily grab the best deals. Priceline is another good option. With Priceline, you make a bid and the website automatically buys a ticket for you if the price drops to your bid level. This approach requires less work, since you can sit back and let the website search for a ticket at your desired price.
Check prices on airline websites. Airlines often have special deals that are available only to people buying directly from the airline. In some cases, these deals are more affordable than prices from discount travel sites.
Check all your travel websites several times each day. Airlines frequently change ticket prices, so checking once a day is not enough. Check early in the morning and just after 5 p.m. Be especially vigilant about checking on Saturdays and Wednesdays, which are the best days to find cheap tickets.
Look at vacation packages offered on travel sites. Airlines trying to fill seats will sometimes offer cheap flights with hotel accommodations, car rentals and other services. In some cases, these packages are actually cheaper than air travel alone.
Tips & Warnings
If you find a ticket deal, buy it immediately. If you wait too long, you will probably lose the price.
About The Author
Isaiah David is a freelance writer and musician living in Portland, Ore. He has nearly five years' experience as a professional writer and has been published on various online outlets. He holds a degree in creative writing from the University of Michigan.
