How to Buy Cheap Airplane Tickets
By Chris Joseph
Perhaps you are thinking of taking that long-awaited golfing vacation to a sunny climate but are hesitant for fear that the airline travel will be too costly. With a bit of planning, you can find the best airfare available, saving up to hundreds off of your tickets with just a little research. To find the best deals, use a combination of search methods.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Begin the search process as early in advance of your trip as possible. Many airlines offer cheaper fares the farther in advance that you book the flight. This also gives you the time to compare fares to see if you can find a better deal. Airlines also may offer cheaper fares when booking in advance and using the Internet.
Make use of travel websites. As with the airlines, these sites are in heavy competition with each other, which benefits you by driving down prices. They operate by purchasing tickets in bulk from the airlines so they can afford to make them available more cheaply, often by using an auction format. These most well-known sites are http://www.travelocity.com, http://www.expedia.com, http://www.orbitz.com and http://www.priceline.com.
Consult with a travel agent, as they might have access to fares that are not available to the general public. Be sure to specify to the agent that you want the cheapest fare possible. If you don't, they might only provide you with the cheapest fare that will render them the highest commission, because that is how they earn a good portion of their income.
Fly during the cheapest times during the week. The least expensive day to fly is typically on Wednesday, followed by Tuesday and Saturday. Some airlines will also offer a discount if your roundtrip destination includes you staying over on a Saturday. If you are an early riser, you can take advantage of the cheaper rates that are offered on early-morning flights.
Be flexible in your travel to take advantage of cheaper periods of the year. For example, if you want to try some of the Las Vegas golf courses, plan your trip for January or February. This is typically the slow season for Vegas tourism, but the weather is still plenty warm enough for golf, and you will save money on airfare.
About The Author
Chris Joseph is a freelance writer residing in Pennsylvania. He has written hundreds of articles for newspapers and the Internet on a variety of topics, including several on golf for GolfLink.com. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from York College of Pennsylvania.
