These days, airfare seems to
have gone through the roof, so any way you can get those
prices down is a plus. Fortunately, there are still some
ways to get lower priced flights, if you’re willing to do
the work.
Book ahead. We all know that last minute plane tickets are
more expensive than those booked ahead, but did you know
that 21 days is the sweet spot? Buy at least three weeks in
advance of your trip and you’ll get lower prices.
Fly on the holiday. Christmas is an expensive time to fly,
but you may get a better deal if you fly on the actual day
of the 25th. This works with other popular holidays, too,
since most people avoid travel and the airlines still need
to fill seats.
Be flexible with airports. Often, you can drop prices
considerably just by flying into, or out of, a different
airport. Check the difference in price if you fly into the
next town over . . . it could end up being much cheaper,
even with the taxi ride home.
Check the airline’s website. Don’t forget that the online
flight search engines are all getting paid to sell you
tickets. Cut out the middle man and go directly with the
airline if you are planning a straightforward flight,
otherwise it’s likely easier to plan through a airfare
search engine.
Combine services for a discount. Need a hotel and a rental
car while you’re at your destination? Then you might be able
to save money by booking all three through the same service.
Check different dates. Tuesdays are often cheaper days to
fly, but you might find that random days are better. When
searching for flights, try choosing flexible dates and see
what will get you the best price.
Use a money back card. There are quite a few credit cards
now that let you earn money back bonuses when you shop with
them. While it isn’t a huge amount, this can help to offset
the cost of your plane tickets a little.
Search incessantly. If you really want to get the best
deals, there’s just no substitute for searching often and
everywhere. There are a number of websites that take the
information you input and then use it to search a number of
ticket resellers. These can be useful for finding good
prices, but don’t forget to use the other tips given above,
as well.
While plane tickets may be costlier now than they have been
in a long time, that doesn’t mean you have to pay full price
all the time. Follow these tips to make sure your trip costs
as little as possible and you’ll still have money in your
pocket.
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