Flying is the fastest mode of long-distance or international travel, but the price of airline tickets -- with taxes, security fees and fuel costs -- seems to be continually on the rise. If you book online, and if you're crafty and flexible in your travel plans, you can find the cheapest deals.
Research which airlines compete on the route between your departure and arrival airports. If many airlines are competing on a route, prices are likely to be lower. Consider using budget airlines or smaller, outlying airports to get cheaper tickets. For example, cheap domestic flights are often available from Chicago's Midway airport (no website; 5700 South Cicero Ave., Chicago, IL 60638; 773-838-0600) instead of the larger O'Hare International (flychicago.com). Flying from London, England, may be cheaper from one of the capital's more outlying airports, from which budget airlines offer cheap flights. Budget airline easyJet (easyjet.com) often has cheaper flights from London Luton or Stansted airports than from the more central London Gatwick (gatwickairport.com).
Search for the low-season and low-demand periods of the year, month and week for your flight. Every commercial airline route typically has a low, mid and high season; prices, and demand for tickets, are highest in the high season and lowest in the low season. As an example, trans-Atlantic flights to Europe from the U.S. with British Airways (britishairways.com) are cheapest in late January and all of February. U.S. Airways (usairways.com) defines September as the low season from the U.S. to Mexico and the Caribbean.
Compare prices for your flight at each airline's own website, and also at consolidator sites. Consolidators such as Priceline (priceline.com), Hotwire (hotwire.com), Kayak (kayak.com) and Expedia (expedia.com) sell cheap airline tickets drawn from many different airlines and routes. Expedia and Kayak will allow you to book so-called "hacker" fares -- the outward journey with one airline, and the return journey with a different carrier. Sometimes this tactic works out significantly cheaper overall. Pay with a major credit card, and you can earn both loyalty points from your card issuer and air-miles from the airline. American Express, for example, has a Blue Sky Rewards program, which allows card-holders to use loyalty points as a cash-back bonus for air tickets, hotels or other travel.
Find out which day of the week is cheapest for your route. Typically, the cheapest flights to book online are those that accommodate a standard Monday-through-Friday work schedule. If you can travel on a midweek midday flight, the cost may be half that of a Friday evening flight. The cheapest time of day to fly is often the least convenient; so-called "red eye" flights are sometimes inexpensive because few people want to arrive at the airport before dawn. A late-night departure or arrival, or a convoluted route involving several stops and layovers, can also bring down the cost of your ticket. About six weeks in advance is often the cheapest time to buy a domestic flight, although cheap tickets can also be available far in advance or at the last minute. On long-haul flights, your chances of getting a cheap ticket are highest if you book well in advance.
