Getting low air fares hinges on timing your vacation as well as comparison shopping so you can find the best website deals. You can also look at combining flights on your own to get to your destination cheaply. Focusing on certain days of the week can sometimes help you optimize your search.
Try air fare search comparison sites such as Kayak, Trip Mama and IgoUgo to search out the lowest fares from your airport to your destination. Kayak will also show dates when recent deals were found so that you see what days might be cheaper. Most of the fare search sites will show you where the lowest prices they found are offered, but be sure to check the airline's actual website. With airline websites, you don't pay service fees.
Investigate charter flights. Southwest, JetBlue, JetAmerica, Allegiant, SunCountry and many other smaller companies offer discounted flights -- sometimes as little as $9 each way. You can also check larger metro areas for these airlines or try making your own combination flight. For example, flying out of Fargo, North Dakota, you might be able to get to Las Vegas for $29 each way. Suppose that you could then add a Southwest flight to San Francisco for $50 each way. The total would be $160 vs. $450 for more direct flights.
Be aware of the best times, days and last-minute flight deals. In most cases, having a Saturday night stay reduces the overall cost of the air fare ticket. Last-minute air fare deals can be found on the United Airlines website every Tuesday for the current weekend and the next.
Try flying on holidays or seeking flights that take off in the early morning. Usually, 5 a.m. flights cost less than 8 a.m. flights.
Schedule your vacation in the off-season, such as fall and winter. Book your flight months in advance.
