On any airplane, you are likely to be sitting next to a person who paid either significantly more or significantly less for their ticket than you. Finding the cheapest airline ticket on any given flight or route involves a combination of forward planning, traveling at unpopular times and a little luck.
Most airlines define a "high" and "low" season for given routes and flights. Average ticket prices will be high in the high season and low in the low season. Between high and low seasons, some airlines define "shoulder" and "medium" seasons with moderate ticket prices. As an example, US Airways tickets between the United States and Central America, Mexico or the Caribbean are usually cheapest in the "low" season of September 1st through 30th. If you want to travel to South America, most cheap tickets are to be found in the low season of May and October. Tickets from the U.S. to Europe tend to be cheapest in the second half of January and the month of February.
Holidays drive up average airline ticket prices, so avoid traveling immediately before Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, or holiday weekends such as Labor Day or Memorial Day if you're looking for cheap tickets. Because not many people want to fly or arrive on a holiday, you might find cheap flights traveling on the holiday itself or in the days immediately afterwards. As an example, British Airways flights across the Atlantic are significantly cheaper a few days after Christmas than a few days before the holiday. Holidays in foreign countries also affect ticket prices. For example, the Carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago -- commonly February or March -- drives up ticket prices. You might find cheap tickets on this route immediately before or after Carnival.
Airline tickets tend to be cheaper on inconveniently scheduled flights. "Red eye" flights leaving very early in the morning -- or very late at night -- are commonly cheaper than daytime flights. A flight that has multiple connections and takes significantly longer to reach its final destination will usually be cheaper than a direct flight. When considering these inconvenient or time-consuming flights, you should weigh the money saved on the ticket against likely additional expenses with a convoluted route or early departure. For example, you may need to take an expensive taxi to the airport for a red-eye, whereas you could have accessed a daytime flight by bus. Additional food and drink in multiple connecting airports adds expense to a cheap ticket that makes many connections.
Consolidators are companies that sell airline tickets to the general public, most commonly through a website. If your travel dates are flexible, consolidators can often offer tickets cheaper then the airlines' own websites. Certain consolidators allow you to book a single journey with multiple airlines, reducing the overall cost of the ticket by selling the cheapest possible tickets on outbound and return journeys. In other cases, you may find a cheaper ticket by booking directly with an airline. If you join a particular airline's loyalty program, you can earn air miles and ultimately free flights by booking directly with that airline.
