Do your research. Never buy the first airfare you see and always compare prices. Online websites such as FareCompare.com and Kayak.com allow visitors to check prices of flights and compare different carriers. You can buy cheap airline tickets if you do a little research before you make a purchase.
Know when to book. Holiday travel prices peak and ebb according to the time of your booking, so always know the best times to purchase your airfares. Christmas travel is usually more expensive in mid-November, when people are planning their holidays, so plan ahead to book early and get cheap tickets.
Be compromising with your travel plans. Fly out of alternative airports and be flexible with your flying dates. According to Cheapair.com, you'll be more likely to score discount airfares if you provide more airport options, as well as adjusting your traveling days. If you're departing from San Francisco, Calif., try alternate airports such as those in Oakland or San Jose; if you're flying from New York, consider departing from Newark, N.J., instead. Another way to find cheap flights is to check to see if it's cheaper to fly out a day or two before your ideal date.
Fly during the holiday. You can save hundreds of dollars if you fly out on the actual days of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Check for morning or afternoon flights so you can still be at your destination in time for celebrating, while scoring a cheap airfare.
Visit airlines' websites. Not every deal is published on third-party travel booking sites, so checking airlines' sites for deals, as well as coupons, can save you a lot of money. Airlines have deals that change from week to week, so check the sites often to find a deal on tickets during the holiday season.
