A first-class ticket insulates you from the airport hordes and cocoons you in a wide, flat-recline seat, surrounded by cook-to-order delicacies and fawning flight attendants. But it won't get you to your destination faster. So why spend all that money? Better to find the cheapest airfare and save your cash for nicer hotels and local attractions.
To find the cheapest airfare, you first need to know the regular price to use as a baseline. Browse your favorite travel sites and search for fares using flexible dates. Take note of the costs on different dates and the airlines offering service from your departure point.
Airlines charge less to fill seats when demand is low. This usually happens during travel from Tuesday through Thursday in the afternoon and evening. Low season varies according to destination, but flights to Europe are cheapest in the winter. You want to avoid major holidays. For example, flying to Asia during Chinese New Year exposes you to throngs of holiday travelers.
If you can't find information on the Internet about what is low season to your destination, call one of the airlines you found during your baseline search and ask it directly when the cheapest season is for your intended location. An additional bonus to flying during low season is that hotels, restaurants and admission tickets will also be cheaper.
Many cheap airfares never make it to public awareness because they're reserved for an airline's best customers. To join this elite corps, simply sign up on the airline website for a frequent flyer number. You'll begin receiving email offers and discount coupons even before you take your first flight. Since membership is free, you can sign up with several companies.
If the airline offers many flights from your nearest airport, check out the other ways you can earn miles, including charging on its credit card and shopping at affiliated merchants. You can then turn in these miles for the cheapest airfare of all: a free ticket.
If your destination is in a country with a large foreign enclave near you, visit that community's shops and restaurants to look for its local newspapers. You'll often find ads for airfares at substantial discounts. The companies behind these special fares are not airlines but travel agents who buy seats in bulk to offer at cut rates to their specialized customers. You don't have to be a fellow countryman to garner these discounts. Just ring them up like you would any travel agent and buy a ticket.
If no such communities have formed nearby, search the web using the country name and "travel agent." For example, use the term "Mexican Travel Agent" or "France Travel Agent." You'll find a list of country-specific agencies that can give you discounts via toll-free calls or emails.
