Wouldn't it be nice to just go to one website or call just one phone number and find the cheapest plane ticket? Maybe someday this will occur. For now, the best way to find a cheap plane ticket is to spend some time doing research and checking multiple websites. I've divided this section into "fixed vs. flexible." (If you haven't read the post on planning your vacation you can find it here.)
If you have Fixed Dates and a Fixed Place: (i.e. you want to go to Boston from Washington DC on July 3rd to July 10th)
When you have fixed dates and a fixed destination the best option is to use Aggregators. These sites search hundreds of sites find the cheapest flight out there. My favorites are:It doesn't hurt to also try a few traditional online travel agencies including: Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity. If you use these be sure to book through the airline's own website though (see tip 3 below)
If you have Fixed Dates and a Fixed Place, and your dates are within the next few weeks also check Site59 which finds package deals within the next two weeks. Even if you don't need a hotel at your destination, sometimes it finds an entire package cheaper than you can find a flight alone.
If you have Flexible Dates: (i.e. you can go anytime in July or you can leave within 1-3 days of a particular date)
If your dates are within 1-3 day spread (i.e. you can leave July 1st, 2nd, or 3rd): Use Kayak
If your dates are very flexible (i.e you can leave any time from now until July): Fare Compare, Farecast, and Travelocity — All have searches available by the monthIf your Destination is Flexible: These sites find cheap airfare to many places from your originating location.
By Rick Seaney, CEO - FareCompare.com
No one wants to pay more than they have to for air fare. But next time, look around. The guy in the seat next to you might have bought a ticket that cost $100-more than yours; the woman on the other side of you might have paid $50-less.
Arghhh!What to do? Start by going to FareCompare.com. And Ill walk you through the process.
How to Buy Right: An Example
Got this letter awhile back; lets solve this problem, so youll learn how to solve your own.
"Looking for Senior rate (if available) for travel about 6-months from now; leaving Harrisburg, PA on Jan. 30, 2007 to Kelowna, British Columbia, and returning on 2-6-07 … do you have available itineraries?"
First, the bad news:
- Medium-sized cities: these are often more expensive than larger hub cities
- Lack of competition: this can mean higher-prices for smaller-cities
- Senior fares: these are disappearing; when they are offered, such fares are typically not the cheapest (though the tickets are usually fully-refundable and require no advance-purchase)
Now, the good news:
- Travel is 6-months away; plenty of time to make the best air fare purchase
STEP 1 - Go to FareCompare.com. Enter the above cities.
STEP 2 - Check for Volatility - Notice the fares that appear on your screen may look high, but again, thats not unusual for smaller markets. Also look at the "Lowest Fare Last 30 Days"; fares between these 2-cities are likely flat (not volatile).
STEP 3 - Check the Departure Month Star-Rating
A 4-star rating means buy now; 3-stars is also a good rate, and 2-stars is so-so. When I originally looked up this fare, I saw that that travel departing in February had a 2-star rating ($718). But travel departing thru December had a 3-star rating ($559).
A December price-break is not unusual and indicated the airlines were managing this market in five month increments. This quick look gave me an inkling that we might want to wait a few months before purchasing a fare.
STEP 4 - Check the Fare Trend
Always look at our price-trend graph; after enter your city pair and click to find the fare, this chart is on the lower-left of your screen. In this particular case, I saw the trend was moving downward, to lower prices. Thats a good sign, obviously. If we wait a bit, at least we are on the proper price trajectory.
STEP 5 - Check the Previous Year
Just above the Fare Trend Chart, you'll see the words Advanced Historical Graphs; click that to see previous months, even years. Again, in this particular case, I saw some nice sales occurred (down to the $400 range) and the prices trended down from November to December of the previous year. You cant always count on that, but generally its a good indicator.
STEP 6 - Sign Up for FareCompare's FREE Email Alerts
You'll see this right on our homepage; it takes about 20-seconds to sign up and we will alert you to the best prices for the cities your interested, as soon as that information becomes available. And no one, not even the airlines, will get you that information faster. We guarantee it.
BOTTOM LINE: The buyer should wait a few months before purchasing these tickets, as the price will likely go down.
2-FINAL THOUGHTS:
- If a buyer can be flexible on travel dates, its easier to find cheaper fares
- If a buyer can be flexible on airports, again, its easier to find cheaper fares
With gasoline prices going through the roof and increased costs due to new security measurements, airline ticket prices have risen drastically in the last few years. Flights that were once under two hundred dollars can now cost up to three times as much as before. However, it is still possible to find a cheap ticket if you are willing to be flexible and to do a little research.
The Internet is a great tool for helping you find affordable deals that leave you with a little extra cash to spend on your vacation. Today�s most popular way to locate cheap tickets is through online discount sites like Expedia and Hotwire. These two sites and others like them are devoted to finding discount travel rates on cars, flights and hotels. You can type in a departure and arrival city and the dates you want to travel, and the site will search its databases and bring up a list of budget rates.
The more flexible you are, the greater your chances of finding a cheap ticket. There is a catch, however, when you book flights on Hotwire or Expedia. Most of the discount rates are available on unpopular flight times, typically with early morning or late night departures or arrivals. Also, if you have set dates and times that cannot be adjusted, it can be hard to find a cheaper rate. These website services work best if you have a two or three day window for both your departure and your return. That way, the site can choose from a wider variety of flight combinations, giving you the lowest ticket prices available.
Another cheap ticket seller on the Internet is Priceline.com. This website allows you to enter your travel dates and to offer your own ticket price. If your price is accepted by an airline, you can purchase the ticket at that guaranteed rate. This process can several hours, and if you receive the price you proposed, you are obligated to purchase the ticket. Because of this, you are not able to choose which airline you use. Though Priceline is not as flexible as other ways of purchasing cheap tickets, sometimes you can get amazing deals that you can�t find any other way. Travel sites like Priceline and Hotwire do offer another advantage in addition to cheap airplane tickets. They also offer the options of booking hotels and car rentals at the same time as your flight. When you book all of your travel needs at once, you can save even more on your expenses, leaving you more money to spend once you reach your destination.
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