Use an airfare price predictor. To see when fares are rising or falling, travelers should take advantage of websites that offer tips on when to buy, and when to hold out buying until tickets are cheaper. Bing.com offers those wanting to save a buck the opportunity to see when flights from Chicago to San Francisco are being sold at a lower price. Bing boasts an average of $50 saved on airfares by using its price predictor.
Choose multiple stopovers. When traveling cross country from Chicago to San Francisco, some flights can be more expensive if you select non-stop routes. If you're willing to stopover in multiple cities on your journey, you can save a lot of money.
Buy non-refundable tickets to save. Those who purchase tickets with non-refundable clauses will have restrictive fare rules, but the tickets are more value priced, according to Delta.com.
Price your own flight. Websites such as Priceline.com allow travelers to name the price of their tickets. If you're trying to get cheap tickets from Chicago to San Francisco, you may be able to save up to 40 percent on your flight by using Priceline to purchase your fare.
Wait for deals. Many online traveling websites, such as Cheapoair.com, feature deals that can save you money by offering coupons for flights. With 100 million discounted flights being offered, you're sure to find budget tickets flying to California.
Fly from smaller airports. Fly from Midway Airport, as travelers departing from Chicago's O'Hare airport--the nation's second-busiest airport--are more likely to pay higher fare than those who fly from Midway.
Fly into nearby Oakland or San Jose, California, instead of San Francisco, for cheaper tickets.
