10 Tips for Finding Cheap Airfare

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Think you need a vacation now? Just wait until you’re scouring dozens of booking sites, aggregators and airline websites to find cheap airfare for your next trip — then you’ll really be ready for a week off!

How to Find Cheap Airfare

Unfortunately for weary travelers, there’s no single best way to find cheap flights. As with any purchase, you need to shop around to get the best deal — by trying different booking sites, altering your dates and waiting until just the right time to purchase. But if you’re willing to put in a little time and effort, you could save big on your next flight.

Especially during peak travel periods, making reservations late in the game can cost you a lot of money. Airline ticket prices typically go up in the last two weeks before flying, so if you’re planning ahead, try to make the call before this deadline. And if you’re traveling internationally, you’ll want to book even earlier — from three to six months in advance — for the best deals. For more on specific booking deadlines and recommendations, see Want the Lowest Fare? Here’s When to Book.

That said, occasionally you can get lucky if you wait, which brings us to:

Sometimes you can buy tickets at the very last minute for a great price if the airlines have failed to fill their planes. You can find such fares at specialized sites like LastMinuteTravel.com, or sometimes on airline websites and online booking sites such as Expedia. If you can stand the suspense, and if you are flexible with your itinerary and dates, you can find cheap flights to very attractive travel destinations. For more info, see Best Bets for Booking a Last-Minute Trip.

No matter how good it sounds, you should never book the first fare you see. Start your search by checking a few of the major online travel providers such as Travelocity, TripAdvisor Flights or Kayak. SmarterTravel’s sister site, Airfarewatchdog, is another good source of cheap airfare. Checking these sites will give you a preliminary idea of which airlines fly your particular itinerary, what the going rate is and which restrictions might apply. Armed with this information, you can head directly to the airline website to see if the same flights are any cheaper (some airlines guarantee to offer the lowest possible fares on their own websites). While you’re there, check to see if the airline is running any sales or promotions to your destination.

If you don’t see anything in your preferred price range, don’t be afraid to bide your time and watch the fares for a bit. Most major booking sites have alert features that will email you when your fare drops to a price you’re willing to pay.

The hardest part of booking a flight is knowing when to stop tracking fares and make that final purchase. Kayak.com can help you reach that decision, offering fare predictions for most major cities. Just plug in your itinerary and the site will advise you either to book now or to wait, depending on whether the fare is expected to rise or drop. It also shows a fare history graph, allowing you to see whether your fare is headed in an upward or downward direction. The Hopper app will track itineraries and notify you when the fare drops.

Keep in mind that many airlines launch fare sales on Tuesdays — so if you decide to buy on a Monday, you may be gnashing your teeth when your destination goes on sale the next day.

If you live close to more than one airport, check out the fares from all of the airports near you. Many online fare searching engines will ask you if you are willing to depart from or arrive in more than one city. Yes! Also, experiment with different travel dates; shifting your itinerary by a month, a week or even a few days can make a significant difference when looking for cheap flights. You’ll usually find the lowest fares for travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

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Just about every destination has a peak season — and if you can fly any other time of year, you’ll often pay significantly less. See The Best and Worst Days to Fly to learn more about this cheap airfare strategy.

As their nickname suggests, discount airlines can save you a bundle, but they’re not always easy to find. Luckily for consumers, discounters are cropping up more frequently on aggregators and booking sites (Kayak now offers fares for JetBlue and Spirit, for example) — but there are still a few holdouts, such as Southwest and Allegiant Air, whose fares can’t be found anywhere but their own websites. If you’re traveling outside the U.S., don’t forget to check the international discount airlines as well.

Why pay a fare at all when you can use your frequent flier miles? Although redeeming miles has gotten more difficult in recent years, it’s still a good option to consider, particularly if you’re booking early; airlines designate a limited number of seats on each flight as eligible for award travel, and these seats go quickly. Some credit cards can help you build up miles more quickly; see How to Choose the Best Travel Credit Card to learn more.

If fares go down after you’ve purchased your ticket, ask for a refund! You may not always get one, but policies vary by airline — and many do not publicize the fact that they will refund you the difference if prices go down. It can’t hurt to ask.

Orbitz.com has a Best Price Guarantee, which entitles you to money back if you find your itinerary for less on another website.

In order to promote tourism in their countries, many national airlines offer air passes at reduced rates for tourists. If you’re planning to do extensive travel in one country or region, an air pass might be your most cost-effective option. For more information, see our guide to air passes. Planning an even bigger trip? Look into around-the-world tickets and fares.

Don’t forget to check our comprehensive Travel Deals for the latest fare sales — we post new ones throughout the week. You can also look for cheap flights using our Compare Prices tool.

What’s your best tip for finding cheap airfare?

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