How to Get Cheap Air Flights

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If your travel plans are bigger than your travel budget, don't despair. There are ways to save money on airline tickets, bringing even distant destinations within reach of the budget traveler. If your travel plans are flexible and you're willing to sacrifice a little convenience to save some big money, you can find deals on cheap flights and discounts on future travel. Traveling on the cheap requires some persistence but the rewards can be great.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step 1

Start researching. Once you've determined your final destination and pinpointed the closest airport, expand your search. A short drive can make a big difference in the price you pay for a seat. For example, a flight to Mexico from the regional airport in Kalamazoo, Michigan was 40 percent higher than a similar flight out of nearby Detroit.

Every flight out of every airport has a certain percentage of discounted seats. Smaller airports have fewer discounted seats available and they disappear quickly.

Step 2

Keep your dates flexible. The cheapest days to fly are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and a Saturday stay-over usually lowers the price. Look for the late night, early morning flights known as "red eyes;" there are usually discounted airline seats available on these less desirable flights.

Step 3

Plan a winter trip. Mid-winter flights that do not fall around Thanksgiving or the Christmas holidays are the least expensive.

Step 4

Keep looking. Airlines want to fly full planes, so they may add discounted seats as an enticement to price-sensitive travelers.

Step 5

Sign up for email fare alerts to say on top of fare changes. Check out dedicated fare alert sites like bestfares.com and airfarewatchdog.com that, according to msnbc.com, "provide a list of low fares and/or alerts about such fares, either delivered by e-mail or posted online."

Step 6

Get friendly with the big airlines. Sign up for an individual airline's email feed. They will send you special pricing and sale prices that are not posted on the major travel websites.

Step 7

Plan to get bumped. While this will not lower the price of your current ticket, you may end up with a voucher for a discounted future ticket. Find the most "bump-worthy" flights by checking an airline's overbooking rate at the Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Reports. Look for the "Oversales" section to see which airlines offer the highest likelihood of leaving passengers--in this case, you--behind. To increase your chances of getting bumped, arrive at the airport early and tell the gate agent that you want to volunteer. For the most successful and stress-free bumping experience, fly solo with only a carry-on and be sure there is a future flight that will meet your needs. This is not a good plan for a lengthy family trip with a lot of luggage and time constraints.

Tips & Warnings

Travel light. With airlines charging for heavy bags and extra bags, assess your wardrobe and accessories.

Article Written By Moira Clune

Moira Clune is a freelance writer who since 1991 has been writing sales and promotional materials for her own and other small businesses. In addition, she has published articles on VetInfo and various other websites. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Hartwick College.

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