Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Cheap Plane Tickets

Cheap plane tickets are relatively easy to find on the web if you know what you are doing. Airlines and online plane ticket brokers have particular rules that they follow in offering really cheap plane tickets. If you know these rules and follow them you can get cheap plane tickets every time you need to fly.

Follow these tips for getting your Cheap Plane Tickets:

Cheap Plane Tickets Tip #1

You absolutely must plan and you must buy early to get cheap plane tickets! The earlier you buy that plane ticket the less you are going to pay for it. You must buy your plane tickets at least three full weeks in advance of your date of departure. Twenty-one days before your departure date will get you the best cheap plane tickets, then the price will go up at fifteen days before the date and then again at seven days.

Cheap Plane Tickets Tip #2

Pick the days you want to fly wisely. It is cheaper to fly on weekdays than it is on weekends. Try to pick flight times during non-peak hours such as mid-day or later evening flights. The idea is to travel when most other people really don't want to, then you will get the really cheap plane tickets.

Cheap Plane Tickets Tip #3

You know when you what to fly, so now think about where you want to fly from and to. It can be cheaper to fly into and out of smaller airports than larger ones. If you re flying to or from Washington D.C., then try Dulles airport or Reagan airport. Want to fly into San Francisco? Try Sacramento and drive to San Francisco.

Cheap Plane Tickets Tip #4

Next step is to start searching the web for those cheap plane tickets. There is no shortcut for this step and it may take some time. But the more that you search in a particular order the more likely you are to find the cheapest plane tickets. Start with some of the big name travel sites to get a feel for what your airline tickets might cost. Try Expedia, CheapTickets, Travelocity and Orbitz. Keep a running list of the best flights and costs. You can save the itinerary, but that does not guarantee the fare until you book it.

Cheap Plane Tickets Tip #5

On all the sites listed in Tip #4 make sure that, if your travel plans are flexible, that you check various dates and times to see if you can get a better price leaving on a Tuesday instead of a Saturday. Sometimes you can save hundreds of dollars on plane tickets by shopping this way.

Cheap Plane Tickets Tip #6

Now you should have a good idea of what the regular travel sites will cost you for the plane tickets. The next step is to check the aggregator sites like Kayak.com and Mobissimo. These sites have really cheap plane tickets and do not charge any booking fees. This is usually your best bet for really great fares.

Cheap Plane Tickets Tip #7

The last step in your journey to the cheapest plane tickets that you can find is to now actually check the real airlines site. That's right, find the exact flight that you want and go check on the airline's site and sometimes you can find a better deal directly from the airline.

Cheap Plane Tickets Tip #8

If you are feeling bold, and still haven't found plane tickets that really fit the budget you had in mind, then you can try the auction sites. There is Priceline.com and SkyAuction.com. But this is a big risk that you will get the tickets at all, so be very careful if you chose to bid for your cheap plane tickets.

Follow these steps and you will find the cheapest plane tickets available to get you to your destination.