Rather than going to each airline's website, use sites such as travelocity.com and orbitz.com that provide costs for flights from several major airlines. The costs reflected on these sites are similar to the costs on the airlines' sites. Any differences may be due to service fees from travelocity.com or orbitz.com. These sites allow you to conduct a side-by-side comparison of costs. Southwest Airlines, however, is not included in the comparisons.
If you purchase your tickets late---within a week of the travel date---expect higher costs. Some days in the week tend to be more expensive to fly than others. And if you plan to fly close to the holidays, your travel may also be more expensive. Check for flights the day before or after your target date; either of those days may be cheaper.
Flying with one or more connecting flights could be cheaper, even if it is more inconvenient. If you have a lot of time, it could save you money. However, connecting flights are riskier because of the potential for delays. A delay in an earlier leg of your trip could cause you to miss the latter legs. With more than one flight to deal with, your chances of experiencing the cancellation of a flight also increases.
Signing up with airlines or travel sites allows you to receive emails when fares are lower during certain time periods on first-come, first-served basis.
