Do You Know How to Get the Cheapest Airline Tickets?

Do You Know How to Get the Cheapest Airline Tickets?

Be flexible in your trip arrangements to receive the best deal. Travel on certain days of the week (typically Tuesday through Thursday or Friday night through Sunday morning) or hours of the day (e.g., late-night departures) may provide the greatest bargains. This is true for all of your flights, not just the first one on your schedule. After you've received a ticket quotation, ask the booking agent whether you might save even more money by traveling earlier or later in the day or by choosing a different trip on the same day. Alternatively, just ask the agent what the lowest fare is and what you must do to qualify for it.

Discount seats are often "blacked out" during holiday seasons. However, if you travel on a holiday (for example, New Year's Day), you may be able to negotiate a lower cost.

Plan as far ahead as possible. Most airlines reserve just a few seats at cheaper prices on many attractive trips. The greatest deals often sell out fast. If, on the other hand, a certain flight is not selling as well as predicted, airlines may make extra-cheap tickets available for that route shortly before the advance-purchase deadline ends. For example, if the lowest cost has a 21-day advance-purchase restriction but is sold out for most dates and you may go whenever you choose, inquire about fare availability on flights 21 or 22 days from the time you call.

While preparing ahead is a good general guideline, if you can wait long enough, you could come upon a "fare sale." Many airlines sell seats for short periods of time multiple times a year (though you may normally buy tickets for flights weeks or months after the sale period ends). It is impossible to forecast when these deals will occur, although they often occur during periods when people are less inclined to purchase plane tickets (for example, early autumn or shortly after New Year's).

The tariff in a major metropolitan region may vary depending on which airport you use. For example, if you are heading to Southeast Florida and want to hire a vehicle, it may not make much of a difference whether you fly to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, other than the cost of the ticket. In addition, a connection (change of aircraft) or a one-stop journey is often less expensive than uninterrupted travel. When pricing a ticket, always consider other airports and routes.

Investigate all airlines that service the market of interest, including low-cost carriers with cheap prices. Many times, big airlines may match low-cost airline tickets between the same locations; however, this is frequently just for a limited number of seats on each trip. Find out what you receive for your money with a low-cost airline: luggage transfers from one carrier to another, meals, advance seat assignments, and so on. Small airlines usually have just one flight per day in many areas, and they will not commonly reroute you on another airline if your trip is canceled or delayed. You may have to wait until the following day to travel in such circumstances.

Inquire about any limitations on your fare. Typical requirements for discount fares include purchasing a round-trip ticket, purchasing the ticket at least a certain number of days before departure (e.g., at least 14 or 21 days before departure for many fares), purchasing the ticket within 24 hours of making a reservation, staying over a Saturday night, traveling during a specific time of year, staying no more than 30 days, and, as discussed below, refund/change restrictions.

Inquire about your ability to alter or cancel your flight if necessary. Even if you get ill, you cannot expect a refund. In truth, most cheap tickets are no longer refundable, although they may be used to buy additional tickets on the same carrier. When you do this, you must normally pay an administrative fee as well as any difference in costs between the previous and new flights.

Consider working with a travel agency. Agents often do not charge a fee (they are compensated by the airline), and they may provide information on "consolidators" and other sources of inexpensive tickets that are not accessible directly from the airline. Consolidator tickets, on the other hand, may have even stricter limitations than the airlines' own deep-discount rates, especially if the trip is delayed or canceled. A few travel agencies sometimes have access to special offers with a certain airline (either discounts or additional services). Inquire with your travel agent about public charters if you are going to a popular overseas location, such as Las Vegas or Hawaii. These charters may offer reduced costs, but with severe limitations written out in an operator/participant contract that you should carefully understand.

Inquire with your travel agent whether the city where you reside or want to go is an airline "hub." Because of the lack of competition, rates may be higher than for flights to other adjacent cities. Someone who resides near a hub may be able to save money by departing from another neighboring city, even if they must connect via the hub to reach their destination.

Every week, a number of airlines send e-mail messages informing customers of last-minute pricing offers for departures within the next several days. For further information on these programs, visit the airlines' websites or contact their reservations lines. (Do not assume that an airline reservation agent or travel agency is aware of the rates made available to e-mail subscribers.)

Many airlines give seniors a senior discount on any ticket if they are over a particular age. Furthermore, several airlines provide bereavement and emergency sickness rates with different paperwork requirements and discounts.

Whether you belong to an airline's frequent-flyer program and are thinking about purchasing a promotional or deep-discount flight, find out whether the price will accrue frequent-flyer points.

Following the purchase of your ticket, you may want to call the airline or travel agency once or twice before departure to confirm your bookings and verify the pricing. Fares fluctuate often, and if the same cost drops before you go, some airlines may reimburse the difference. But you must inquire.