5 Tips for Landing Cheap Airfare Online

Most Americans dream of travel, the problem is, it just seems to costly for most of us to actually get out and do. Airfare and airline fees have driven many people to take trips closer to home, instead of pursuing their lifelong dreams of international travel. However, there are ways to maximize your savings and make your international travel dreams come true. It's all in how and where you look for, and book, your flights.

1) Timing your Purchase

Knowing when you buy and when to keep looking is important. Most of us know that you have to shop around, but when should you stop looking and take the best deal you found? Microsoft's Bing offers airfare prediction which will help you in determining if your airfare is going to go down or up in the near future. To use this feature, enter your itinerary, and Bing will yield results on when you should plan on purchasing.

2) Look into Non-Traditional Airline Tickets

We're most familiar with the typical there-and-back airfare, but there are other options out there. Around the world tickets can save on those seeking to go to multiple destinations by cutting down on airfare, as well as fees associated with them. Additionally, airpasses may be an option if you're seeking to travel extensively within a given country. Airpasses are a bit harder to find, but a search, or phone call to a country's specific airline company (for example, Quantas, Lufthansa, Korean Air) may yield surprising results. Airpasses are generally offered to tourists in order to promote tourism and more money spent within your destination country.

3) Be Flexible When Planning

While some people are unable to be flexible with their travel, it can really help. Many online booking sites feature a checkbox for willingness to be flexible. After surveying several sites, I found I was able to get upwards of $100 off airfare to various locations merely by moving around my travel dates, or checking the flexible dates box.

4) Book and Fly Midweek

People tend to travel more on the weekends, and since the demand is higher, so are ticket prices. If you want to find the best deals, move your dates or plan to fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Some sites even have cheaper airfare when you book midweek. Couldn't hurt to compare the prices between the two if you're looking to save money. Why not wait a couple days and book on a Wednesday instead of a Sunday?

5) Take Advantage of International Travel Sites

We have the tendency to think we have to book using a U.S. site. The Internet has provided us the great ability to cash in on international booking sites when flying out of international airports. So, if you're going to fly out of Bangkok to Chiang Mai, try buying from a Thai site to save money. Sometimes you'll only save $30, sometimes you'll save $100, either way, it can't hurt to look, and saving anything is better than nothing. Sites like Elong cater to China, Vayama has sites around the world, and an Internet search will show you even more international booking sites that can save you on your E-tickets.

These are all simple techniques, although they will take you a bit longer to do than just finding a site and buying tickets. Overall, the time you take to search around, wait, and/or be flexible with your dates will save you much-needed cash you can use for a hotel stay, a dinner out, or spending money during your trip.

References:

Vayama.com

Kayak.com