Shop around and don't buy the first ticket you find. There are numerous websites such as Kayak.com or Skyscanner.com that will browse a number of ticketing sites to show you the lowest prices currently offered.
Search over an extended period of time. Looking for prices on one day may not be beneficial for you as you could be searching on the most expensive day of the month. Try checking back in on prices as frequently as possible over a period of anywhere from a week to a month.
Plan ahead. Looking for tickets the week or even day before you fly is not likely to find you cheaper tickets. If you're really in a bind, there are websites such as LastMinute.com that take advantage of unfilled seats, but more often than not, airlines oversell their tickets to make sure their planes are full. Ideally, you should start looking for flights at least three months ahead of time, if not more.
Allow for flexible dates. If you don't absolutely need to arrive on a Friday, try searching for flights that go out on Wednesday, or later on Sunday. Some companies will let you search for flexible dates, often with a plus-or-minus three-day search option, while other sites force you to manually search individual days.
Go to the airline's website. Some airlines such as Air France and Air Canada will show you which days their flights are the cheapest on a ticketing grid. Although more often than not, buying direct from the airline will be the most expensive way to fly, finding out directly from the airline which day is cheapest will give you that information when searching on other budget travel sites.
Fly standby. This involves going to the airport in person on the day of travel and buying a discounted ticket at the airline ticketing desk, then waiting around to see if any seats are left empty. This is an effective option if you aren't pressed for time and you only have carry-on luggage. You should call the airline first to make sure they allow standby tickets and to ask them how full a flight is before taking the chance. Early morning departures tend to be the best option as people are more likely to miss these flights.
Get eligibility for a discount. If you are a student, under 26, or a teacher, use companies such as STA Travel that offer super discounted airfare. If you have membership with a company such as AAA or American Express, they often offer flight packages that will make the airfare cheaper. Or, sign up for membership if you usually fly with a particular airline, and you can use your miles toward flight purchases.
Think creatively. There may be multiple airports that you could fly out of from your departure point, or into at your destination, that could have cheaper flights. Try looking for one-way tickets in each direction, or for multiple destination tickets if you're planning a big trip. If you're flying to Europe, look at flights going to the cheapest destination on the continent and then connect to your destination with budget European airlines such as EasyJet and Ryanair that sell flights for as low 1 Euro.
