Look for red-eye flights. Flying very late at night or extremely early in the morning is undesirable for most passengers. To sell seats on such flights, airlines usually offer tickets at lower prices.
Look for flights with multiple stops. Most people want to get to their destinations as soon as possible, so non-stop flights are more expensive. If you don't mind stopping at several cities and changing planes a few times, you can get a ticket at a considerably lower price.
Choose a seat in economy class and save. The economy section may be less comfortable than first or business-class sections. However, the tickets cost less.
Look for flights into a nearby city. If you don't mind flying into a smaller airport a little distance from the city center or into a different city altogether, you may be able to save a lot of money.
Ask about discounts based on group size, age or status. You can get a group discount if you are traveling with friends or a senior fare if you are over 65. Members of the military or other government service are also eligible for special discounts.
Use your accumulated travel miles. If you are a frequent traveler with one of the participating airlines and a member of its travel program, apply your accumulated miles to the overall cost of the ticket for an even lower fare.
Find out which airlines and agencies are offering discounted tickets for SXSW. Visit the SXSW website and look for the current list of participating partners (see Resources below).
Call the reservation numbers for these companies and find out how to apply for a discount. Ask whether you will have to purchase your ticket over the phone or whether you can do this on the Internet. If you can make your reservation online, ask for the special code you will need to enter when making your purchase.
Find out whether there are special requirements to qualify for the SXSW discount. Also find out whether there are limitations. For instance, you may want to know whether you can apply discounts from other programs to your airfare, in addition to your SXSW discount.
Check the available fares. Purchase your ticket as soon as you find a suitable airfare. SXSW is a popular event, and flights into Austin at this time go quickly.
