The excitement of planning a vacation can quickly turn to stress when you start searching for airline tickets. With all of the resources available for shopping for and buying tickets, you may feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to find the best deal. Unfortunately, as airline travel has become more commonplace, airlines no longer need to offer deep discounts to fill their flights. However, cheap tickets are still available if you know where and when to look.
Don't book your flight too early -- or too late. Many airlines release cheaper fares 3 to 4 months before departure for domestic travel and 4 to 5 months before departure for international travel, but raise prices again as travel dates get closer.
Be flexible with your travel dates -- sometimes adding a day to your trip or leaving a day early can make a big difference in the price of an airline ticket. Many travel sites will allow you to search a range of dates, and will show you how the price of you ticket changes depending on your travel dates.
Look into flying out of other nearby airports, as some airports are actually significantly cheaper than others. Keep in mind transportation costs and travel time for getting to and from the airport, as the trade-offs for cheaper airfare may not be worth it in the end.
Be willing to make connecting flights. These flights may be much more affordable than flying direct.
Be flexible in your travel times. Airfare prices fluctuate throughout the day, so you may save money by leaving earlier or later in the day than you had planned.
Compare prices on different travel web sites and among different airlines. Many travel sites offer email alerts that will let you know when fares have dropped. Some sites also offer information about price trends that can help you find the most economical time to travel. Also keep in mind that many discount carriers don't sell through popular travel sites.
