When you are shopping for airfares remember that online agencies (such as Priceline.com, Expedia, Orbitz, and others) do not charge the same, and so by shopping around you may even save hundreds of dollars, especially on international fares. Other sites to check out are the airline's private sites, as sometimes they save the best prices for their own sites so you may get a great deal there.
When you find a fare that you feel is the best price check to find tickets from airlines that refund the difference if the price should go down. Some airlines do not refund or replace in any way, while others will give you credit toward another flight with their airline, and a few airlines will refund the difference. So shop around: spending a little extra time may save you possibly hundreds of dollars.
When you are shopping for airfares, quite often timing can be everything. With airfares changing even faster then the stock market the price of the ticket you just found may change by tomorrow, so check prices often-even several times a day. Because airlines can change their prices several times a day except on weekends, airlines will submit their lowest fares for the weekend late Friday night to beat the competition, making Saturday mornings a time to check for some great deals.
A feature that some online agencies offer is the flexible airfare; if you can be flexible about your arrival or departure dates, even by a day or two, this feature may also save you money. If you travel a lot, you may want to sign up for individual airlines' promotional emails; sometimes the airline may offer prices that are not available elsewhere.
Last minute weekend deals can be a great deal, but if there are no flights to or from locations that you are interested in, then you can combine two deals. For example, if there are no flights from Phoenix to Atlanta offered, then try combining two weekend specials such as from Phoenix to Dallas, then from Dallas to Atlanta. Just make sure you leave enough time between connecting flights to reach the other flight if there is a delay.
Rather than buying one airfare, try combing two separate fares; sometimes it's cheaper. When checking for international fares, first check for one fare and then try a different route using two fares. For example, if you are flying from Los Angeles to Santiago, check not only the one fare but try Los Angeles to Dallas, then Dallas to Santiago. Combining the two fares may save you money.
Sometimes when you buy the hotel plus airfare combination, you can save money, even if you do not plan on staying in the hotel.
