How to Find Low Airfare

Eduard Marmet: Wikimedia Commons

Buying airline tickets through third-party online vendors is one of the best ways to find low-price airfare. Don't purchase any tickets that you find after one simple search, though. If low airfare is an important factor in your travel plans, you will need patience, time, flexibility and a willingness to alter your travel plans. Planning to camp in Yosemite? Flying into Merced, California, instead of Reno might save you big bucks. Itching to hit the Pacific Crest trail? Flying in on a weekday might cost significantly less than the weekend. By remaining flexible and vigilant, you can save a surprising amount that can then be spent on better gear, a longer trip or even your next outdoor excursion.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step 1

Travel at the "right" time of year. Most people plan to travel during the summer or around the major holidays. Consequently, the prices of tickets purchased for those dates will be expensive, and few discounts will be offered. Most low airfares and special discounts can be found from mid-January to February, April to May, and September to mid-December because fewer people travel during these dates. You'll get lower airfares and you'll miss the crowds that accumulate during peak seasons.

Step 2

Consider traveling on a major holiday. Traveling around the holidays might be a bad idea, but if you're willing to travel on a major holiday, when most travelers are already at their destinations, then you can find surprisingly low airfare.

Step 3

Be flexible with your dates. When searching for online fares, enter a target date around which you'd like to travel. Then search for fares a few days (or weeks) ahead and behind that date on a number of different sites. For a chance at even bigger savings, restrict that search to weekdays, which generally offer lower airfare than weekends because more people travel at the end of the work week. You'll be surprised at how much price difference a few days can make.

Step 4

Search all airports near your destination. If you plan to travel to an out-of-the-way destination, search all of the nearby airports. Certain airports enjoy more traffic than others at different times of the year. By being fairly flexible, you can save a considerable amount. Before purchasing the ticket, though, calculate any additional transportation and time required. You might find that your savings on airfare are less than extra travel costs or time.

Article Written By Meg Butler

Based in Houston, Texas, Meg Butler is a professional farmer, house flipper and landscaper. When not busy learning about homes and appliances she's sharing that knowledge. Butler began blogging, editing and writing in 2000. Her work has appered in the "Houston Press" and several other publications. She has an A.A. in journalism and a B.A. in history from New York University.

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