Airline travel can be a very efficient mode of transportation, but it can also be costly. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce the cost of any flight. Investigate carefully before you make any reservations and save thousands of dollars.
Take advantage of the Internet. The web is a great resource when it comes to travel planning, with numerous sites filled with valuable information that can reduce your vacation or business travel costs. One such site is kayak.com. Kayak compiles airline websites and other discounters--such as Travelocity.com--in one place. Users start with the screen that says flights. Trips can be booked round-trip, one-way, on weekends or for multiple cities. You do not need to know the city's airport code in order to use the service. Users punch in departure dates, return dates, the number of passengers involved and their preference for economy, business or first-class travel. Once this information has been entered into the search engine, flight choices will appear on the screen. Popups may also appear from different websites with different fares. Users can compare prices from each airline very easily.
Plan at least three months in advance. Travelers wishing to book flights and save money should allow enough time to book a flight. Booking air travel at the last minute can often be an expensive proposition--last-minute travel may increase costs by as much as 50 percent. Book early if you are sure you will be traveling. Look closely at the airline fare offered. Many airlines will allow you a refund if you pay an extra fee. Others will include the option of reusing the tickets at a later date as part of their standard fare. Make sure you know exactly what the ticket covers in the event of an emergency to avoid any unexpected fees.
Be flexible. If you are able to be flexible about travel dates, airplane departure times and even the airport you use, you can save money. For example, the New York City area has three major airports: LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark. Each airport is approximately 30 minutes by public transportation from midtown Manhattan. Yet there may be drastically different fees for flights into each one. Traveling on a less-popular weekday such as a Tuesday can also save money. Taking a red eye or a night flight is another way to save.
