Use a strategy based on fare history charts. Fare history data available at Kayak.com can help you make an educated guess as to whether holding out for a better ticket price will net you a bargain. These charts are the best information available to airfare shoppers, so use them. If the chart you consult says that the route's average fare is much higher than the fare you are considering purchasing, it is a good idea to book the flight.
Let the airfare search engines such as those you can find at Budgettravel.com do the legwork for you. Many of these outlets offer fare tracking services that use your input of dates, routes and target pricing to search for bargains several times a day on your behalf. It pays to use two or three of these free services using the same search parameters in order to compare a wide selection of airfares.
Be flexible. If you have a couple of days' flexibility in your departure and return dates, use them to your advantage. Most online airfare search tools allow you to search using flexible dates, and may provide you with a convenient matrix that illustrates the data graphically. Your flexibility may allow you to dodge pricey departure and return dates, potentially saving hundreds of dollars.
Travel out-of-season. It may not be prudent to show up at a beach bungalow during monsoon season, but it is not a bad idea to consider traveling outside your destination's prime tourism months. Hotel rates are almost always lower---sometimes much lower---when hotels and tour operators are vying to fill empty space.
Book two tickets, not one. If a hub airport in the United States operates as the key jumping-off point between America and your chosen destination, you may be in luck. Look into booking separate tickets to and from that hub (allowing plenty of transfer time, of course). Chances are, you will have a layover in that city regardless of whether you are flying on a single ticket or not. This strategy works best if you are not carrying checked luggage. However, the trouble of hustling down to the baggage claim and checking your bags onto a new flight may save you hundreds of dollars.
