How to Find Cheap Airfare Online

Figure out your plans. If you're buying your flights online, you still need to do some leg work before you sign on. Just like if you were using a travel agent, you'll need to figure out all of your plans ahead of time. You do not need to select an exact time that you want to depart/return, but you should have a general idea for when that question gets asked. Decide if you want a non-stop flight, a lay-over, maybe what kind of plane and other preferences.

Give yourself enough time. Buying tickets online is all about timing. Generally speaking, tickets are cheapest if you go to purchase them at least 21 days in advance of the flight. This is just a general rule of thumb. Truth is, the airlines change the amount of the flights almost daily depending on a variety of reasons unknown to the public. So you can get lucky and find a basement-bargain price just days in advance, but don't count on it. Buy your tickets early.

Find yourself a website. There are any number of websites where you can find best-priced airfare. Firstly, all of the airlines have their own websites that offer their least expensive tickets. Whatever their best prices are, they will be online. But these are not necessarily the best prices you can find. There are other websites that have lower fares. Some of these include Orbitz and Kayak. There are also specialty sites that offer discounted tickets for certain people with designated classifications, like students or senior citizens. If you think you might be eligible for a further-discounted ticket, check for these specialty sites first.

Book the travel. Once you find your fare, go ahead and buy your ticket online. In general, these websites are all very safe to give credit card and other personal information to. There are very few problems with these popular websites and you shouldn't be afraid to supply them with everything they need. You'll have to give them traveler information, credit card information and billing information. Just give them what they need so you can buy your ticket.

Select ticket type. When you buy your ticket online, you can often choose your ticket type sometime before you finish. The options are usually an e-ticket or a paper ticket. If you want a paper ticket, go ahead and choose that option. Otherwise, the e-ticket is a great choice. That way, your information all goes into the computer and come travel day, you just bring your luggage to the airport and your ticket will be there waiting for you. Plus, it saves paper and is better for the environment.