Use travel websites, flight comparison websites and airfare search engines to compare prices on tickets. Travel websites often list special deals and reduced fairs as well as package deals to include a hotel or rental car. Airfare search engines may not be the best choice for finding deals on domestic flights, but they do often find reduced fares and good deals on international flights.
Buy in advance to get a serious discount. Airlines state that if you book your flight at least 21 days in advance, you will get a better fare. Booking your flight even further in advance has several benefits: you have the time to search for the best price with multiple carriers and tickets booked far in advance are often easier to change or cancel and you can get a better selection of available seats.
Book flights at off-peak times like early mornings and the middle of the week. Weekends are considered a high-traffic travel time and therefore come with higher airfares. Book your ticked at less traveled times like Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or very early in the morning to get cheaper tickets.
Accept layovers and watch the ticket price decline. Direct flights are far more expensive and if you are willing to make a couple of stops along the way, that can result in a serious discount on your airfare. When searching for flights, check the box that allows several layovers to see what the airlines offer you.
Be flexible with your dates to get a wider choice of flights with reduced fares. Airlines often use a complicated system to calculate how much it costs to fly to a specific city on a specific date; being flexible on your departure dates can help you find the cheapest ticket.
Sign up for frequent flier programs and newsletters to get in first on special deals. All frequent flier programs are free, so it doesn't hurt to sign up with every airline that you fly. Frequent flier miles can be used to upgrade economy class tickets to business class or to purchase tickets. Many airlines have grouped together to create frequent flier "alliances" which means you can collect miles flying on multiple carriers. Once you have signed up for frequent flier programs, go to the websites of the airlines you fly the most and sign up for their weekly newsletter. All airlines send out weekly newsletters with promotional deals, frequently tailored to the airport you use the most. Some of the best reduced rates and deals can be found through airline newsletters.
