Top 5 Websites for Cheap Airfare

If you're like anyone else in the country right now, you're probably watching every penny you spend and looking for every deal out there. And just because money is tight doesn't mean that you should give up on traveling to fun and exciting destinations. One way to save money is to pass on the travel consultant and do the planning yourself. It can be confusing searching through all of the different travel sites looking for the best deal, so here are the best 5 sites to check when travel planning.

1. Orbitz.com
There are several aspects of Orbitz that sets it apart from it's competitors. For one, there are no booking fees on flights, which can greatly reduce the cost. Discount coupon codes can be found online fairly easily. When I recently booked a hotel I first searched "Orbitz coupon" on Google and found a code for 10% off. Not too shabby. The best thing about Orbitz is the Price Assurance, which is lovely considering how prices can fluctuate. If another Orbitz customer books the same flight at a lower price, you'll be refunded the difference automatically. Nice.

2. TravelCuts.com
This site is geared more toward students who will be traveling abroad. In addition to searching flights and accommodations, you can also purchase European train tickets at a discounted rate. Also available on this site is information on travel insurance. The big draw to this site would be using an ISIC card. For approximately $22 (plus shipping/handling) you'll have access to hundreds of travel discounts, including discounts to various attractions (i.e. free admission to the Miami Art Museum).

3. Bing.com
This smart search engine is a great way to go when looking for the cheapest flight. This one site allows you to search for flights from multiple travel sites at once (i.e. Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, etc.). What sets Bing.com apart from the rest and makes it the must go to place for travel planning is Farecasting, which predicts with 74.5% accuracy when it is the cheapest time to buy. Even if you don't buy your ticket through Bing, check it out to see if you should wait a little longer before making that purchase.

4. Priceline.com
Priceline has more to offer than The Negotiator, William Shatner (who, thankfully, embraces the rediculous for the sake of marketing). Like Orbitz, Priceline boasts no booking fees. Priceline's big deal is the Best Price Guarantee, which promises that if you find a better published price online within 24 hours you'll be refunded 100% the difference, plus a coupon for $50 off your next booking of 2 nights or more. Capt. Kirk does it again!

5. BookingBuddy.com
There are not a lot of bells and whistles with this site. Like everyone else you type in your information and hit search. BookingBuddy makes a difference by searching over 140 travel sites without having to retype your information over and over again. You may choose to buy directly from the travel site itself instead of through BookingBuddy, but make sure you check here before making any big decisions.