How to Save on Airline Tickets

Cliff1066: Flickr.com

You might dream of surfing the Banzai Pipeline on Oahu, hiking through the Lake District of England or exploring the Amazon jungles of Brazil. The quickest and most efficient way of reaching these destinations is by air, but the price of tickets might seemingly prevent you from experiencing your fantasy vacation--especially when added to the coast of accommodations and food. Fortunately, there are several ways to bring down the cost of airfare.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step 1

Travel during the offseason. Fares to a particular destination can fluctuate depending on the time of the year. When demand is low, airlines lower prices to try to draw more people. For example, going to a ski resort area is most expensive in the winter and cheapest in the summer. Conversely, flying to most parts of Western Europe is cheapest in the winter and most expensive in the summer. Try going during the shoulder season, which typically is fall and spring, to compromise between cost and climate.

Step 2

Find the going rate by entering your destination and departure points, as well as your travel dates into a travel site such as Cheaptickets.com. Specify flexible dates and choose "3 days before and after," so you can see how prices change depending on the day of travel. You'll typically pay less to fly mid-week and the most on weekends and holidays.

Step 3

View the airlines' checked-in baggage fees, especially for sporting equipment, which can vary considerably. It won't do you any good to get a bargain ticket if you have to pay several hundred dollars to bring your favorite bicycle.

For example, bringing a kayak on a United flight to Europe costs $400 each way. Taking that same kayak on a Virgin Atlantic flight to the same destination is free as long as it's within your standard baggage allowance, weighs less than 70 pounds by itself and is shorter than 162 inches.

Step 4

Sign-up for frequent flyer programs, which rewards you with points that you can turn in for travel discounts and rewards. On most programs, including OnePass from Continental, you don't even have to fly to earn miles. You can shop with online partners, stay at participating hotels or even use affiliated credit or debit cards.

Even if you have no miles, the airline might offer you discounts and specials via e-mail simply because you are a member. See the link under Resources for more information.

Step 5

Register for an airfare alert service such as AirfareWatchDog.com. You can specify a departure/arrival city pair and days of the week that you can travel. The site then emails you the lowest fare between those pairs ranging from the daily or weekly frequency that you select.

Resources

Continental OnePass

Article Written By Aurelio Locsin

Aurelio Locsin has been writing professionally since 1982. He published his first book in 1996 and had his first play produced in 2005. He is now a playwright, director and actor in Southern California. Locsin holds a Bachelor of Arts in scientific and technical communications from the University of Washington.

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