Secrets for Finding Airfare Bargains

by Robert Scheer

Are you planning to travel by air at some time in the near future? Great airline deals are out there waiting for you. But, there are also some things you can do to help bring the prices down. Here are some tips for finding cheap airfare.

We live in a wonderful age for budget-minded travelers. The internet has made finding airfare deals as easy as pointing and clicking. In the days before the information superhighway, you had to call up the airlines and ask about their prices. Now, there is an enormous variety of websites that allow you to shop around and compare prices for airfare deals.

Before you lay down your cash, look at some of these sites and try to find a few that offer the best deals. If you can find one site that you like, you can get a membership and be eligible for more discounts and deals. One way to find a good site is to ask around. If you have a friend, relative or co-worker who flies a lot, see which websites they use to book their flights.

Once you have identified a web site you like, there are some things you can do to save money on airfare.

Certain days of the week are less expensive than others. Generally, the cheapest days to travel are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. It is a basic case of supply and demand. These are the days when fewer people are traveling and the airlines want to sell those empty seats.
 

Certain times of the year are also cheaper. This depends on the destination, but usually August and December are the most expensive months for airline travel. Just remember that at times during which crowds of people are traveling, such as around major holidays, it will be more expensive.

Choose your trip around a Saturday night stay. This has always saved people money on plane tickets. If you need to, extend your trip by a day so you get this Saturday night stay.

Select a non-direct flight. This may be a pain in the neck, but if saving money is important, it will pay you to wait around in an airport for an extra hour or so. HD Camcorders

Fly at night or early in the morning. These are often called "red-eye" flights. Most people choose to fly in the afternoons and evenings, so you can often find deals on red-eye flights. It helps if you are one of those people who do not have much trouble sleeping on board the airplane.

Make your reservation ahead of time. As a general rule, the earlier you book your ticket, the more you save. You also have more time to shop around for a good deal.

On the other hand, you can frequently save with last minute flights. When there are empty seats left on a particular flight, the airline will be desperate to fill them. Selling those seats cheaply is better than not selling them at all. The only problem is that it can be difficult to plan your vacation this way. What if you wait and there are no seats available? Take advantage of this option if your plans are flexible.

The most important bit of advice is this: Do not give up. Keep digging for those deals. Maintain the positive attitude that you can find the lowest airfare prices out there somewhere.

Differences in air fares can be substantial. Careful comparison shopping among airlines does take time, but it can lead to real savings in your airline ticket.