How to Get the Best Fare on Airline Flights
By Timothy Bodamer
Golf trips can be pricey. Between airfare, hotel stays, food, and green fees, watching your budget is important.
Finding the best airfare will help defray the trip's cost. Whether you buy your ticket with low-fare airlines like Southwest or Airtran, or find a good deal with travel search engines such as Kayak, Travelocity or Orbitz, the money you saved may come in handy for another round of golf.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Visit the major online travel sites. Sites such as Travelocity (www.travelocity.com) offer airfare, hotel, and car rental packages which may shave a few dollars off of the airfare. On Travelocity's "Vacation Packages" tab you can click on popular destinations such as Las Vegas and Hawaii. Orbitz (www.orbitz.com) also offers discount airfares which may save you money on your golfing trip.
Visit lesser-known travel sites. For example, Kayak (www.kayak.com) searches hundreds of websites, including the major travel sites, for the best deals. Bing's Farecast (www.farecast.com), which is part of Microsoft's new Bing search engine, sets itself apart from other travel search engines since it tries to predict the right time to purchase a flight.
Try discount airlines. Southwest Airlines (www.southwest.com), for example, offers web deals for golf destinations such as Orlando, Phoenix, and San Diego. AirTran Airways (www.airtran.com) offers Net Escapes, where you can occasionally find one-way fares for less than $100.
Check airfares at various times during the day. Flights might be added in the middle of the night and discounts are sometimes made in the middle of the afternoon. Airlines have different schedules, so check the different airline websites at different times to test for yourself when the fares are best.
Avoid flying during the holidays. Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas mean higher fares. The same can be said for summer holidays like Memorial Day and Fourth of July.
Flying early in the morning with a connection may give you the best deal. For example, flying at 6 a.m. on a Tuesday will probably be cheaper than flying at 7 p.m. on a Friday, a prime-time flight. Flying on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays may provide better prices as they aren't peak flying days.
Tips & Warnings
On the Farecast site, the prediction for a lower fare isn't guaranteed. Your best bet is to purchase the lowest-priced ticket currently available online.
About The Author
Tim Bodamer is a freelance writer based in Seminole, Florida. He attended Edinboro Univerity of Pennsylvania where he studied journalism. He has 15 years of writing experience and specializes in sports, business and general interest topics.
