Peruse online classifieds and sale ads on sites like "Craigslist" and "eBay" if you don't have a personal friend or colleague who wants to sell you his ticket. Professionals, parents and others who are too busy to travel will often sell their extra tickets. These could be free tickets, "frequent flier" tickets or vouchers received in exchange for canceled travel.
Establish rapport with the seller before you make the purchase and ask any questions you have before sending payment. Ask, for example, if she has an e-ticket number with which you can call the airline in question and verify ticket validity. You might also want to know whether she lives in your city or metropolitan area, or if she's selling remotely. If the former is the case, you may be able to meet face-to-face to complete the transaction, assuaging any fraud fears you might have.
Request that the seller make the booking for you--and provide you a confirmation number--before or just after you send payment. Depending on the airline's policy, in fact, the seller may have to be the one who makes the booking. Southwest Airlines' "Rapid Rewards" program requires this, for example.
If your booking is made in advance or soon following your payment, you can be confident in the validity of the ticket and focus on preparing for other aspects of your travel.
