Finding Low Airfares

Finding low airfares is an
increasingly difficult challenge,
especially with the rising gasoline
prices. But those who are willing
to put in a little extra time and
effort can save money.

• Start planning your trip early.
  Costs usually are lower the
  farther ahead you buy your
  ticket. With gas prices due
  to keep rising, this may be
  even more true now than
  in the past. As an example
  , a roundtrip ticket from
  Seattle to Honolulu was
  $600 in February. The
  same ticket today is $950 and the peak travel period hasn’t even started yet.
• Be flexible with your travel dates. The days that offer the best departure rates are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Sometimes extending your trip just a day or two can make a significant difference in price.

Know your geography. By this I mean to know where the smaller airports are in your area and near your destination. See if you can get a price break by flying into or out of a smaller airport.

[Pullout:

]Also, know all of the airlines that fly out of your home airport so that you can research all airlines’ prices.

• Understand the fare rules. That’s the small print on a ticket or at the bottom of a website. Be sure you know what they mean, what it will cost if you cancel or miss a flight, whether your fare includes a meal, and if they will charge you for your luggage.
• Start your internet search for low airfares by going straight to the airline’s website. Many times buying tickets directly from an airline is cheaper than buying through sites like Orbitz, Expedia or Travelocity.
• Try using either one or all of the following travel search engines – Farechase, Kayak, SideStep, Farecast, Qixo or Booking Buddy.
• Check fares often. Airfares are fluctuating quickly. Check fares several times a day if you’re serious about saving money, and be ready to buy when you find a low fare.