Best Strategies for Finding Dirt Cheap Airline Tickets

One of the most expensive costs of travel is the airline ticket. It’s not always easy to find dirt cheap airline tickets when you’re traveling on a budget, but there are a few things you can do to track down the lowest possible rate.

Several online travel agencies and third-party sites allow you to compare cheap flights from several aggregators, but you may not always have access to the largest selection at any given time. Here are some of the best strategies for finding dirt cheap airline tickets:

1. Book flights at alternative airports. When you’re heading to a major city such as Chicago, New York or San Francisco, you may be able to find dirt cheap airline tickets that arrive and depart at airports on the outskirts of the city, or within a short drive from the major hub. Consider booking your flight at an alternative airport to save on the cost of your flight.

2. Travel during the week. Book your vacation during the middle of the week and you may be able to find some of the lowest fares on both domestic and international flights. Mid-week is considered to be the slowest times for major airlines, so you can find many great deals simply by booking a flight that returns and departs on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

3. Cash in your frequent flier miles. If you’re part of a frequent flier program, or you have credit cards that allow you to earn frequent flier miles on purchases, you can lower the cost of airfare by cashing them in. Call your airline to find out how many frequent flier points and miles you’ve accumulated so that you can get a lower rate.

4. Be flexible with your travel dates. If you can travel outside a week before or after your ideal date, you may be able to get a better deal on your flight. Consider departing a few days earlier or later than initially planned and compare the cost of the flights. You may be surprised to find much lower rates simply because you’ve shifted your flight forward or back by a few days.

5. Avoid traveling on major holidays. Flights and travel packages are usually much more expensive over a holiday weekend and throughout the major holiday seasons. If you can help it, avoid traveling over the holidays or look for alternative travel and transportation options to secure the lowest possible flights.

There are several ways to find dirt cheap airline tickets, but you will need to plan ahead to get the best deals. Use these tips and strategies to find the best rates on airline tickets for both domestic and international destinations.

Tags: cheap airline tickets, Cheap travel, Dirt cheap airline tickets

Secrets of Dirt Cheap Airline Tickets and Cheap Travel

If you’re like many travelers on a tight budget, you may be on a constant search for dirt cheap airline tickets and cheap travel packages. There are now dozens of travel sites that publish cheap airfare, hotel packages and travel deals, but only some are actually a good offer. In most cases, you need to time your booking and do some research to compare published fares and rates. Here are some of the top secrets savvy travelers know for getting dirt cheap airline tickets and travel packages:

Finding Dirt Cheap Airline Tickets

If you’re planning a trip overseas, or a trip that’s longer than two weeks, you can find dirt cheap airline tickets by booking two or more separate flights to cities along the route. In many cases, booking separate flights, instead of a nonstop or direct flight can save you a significant amount of money. Another way to find dirt cheap airline tickets is to either book several months in advance, or to book at the last minute.

Securing Cheap Accommodations

Instead of staying at a hotel or resort, consider renting an apartment, condo or staying at a locally-owned bed and breakfast. Renting an apartment for a week or month, or staying at a bed and breakfast is usually much cheaper than staying in a hotel or resort, especially during the peak season. Do some research about locally owned vacation rentals and book in advance to save on your overall travel package.

Other Ways to Save on Travel

In addition to finding dirt cheap airline tickets, securing cheap hotel accommodations and booking a cheap travel package, there are several ways you to save money on your entire vacation. If you’re staying at an extended stay hotel, condo or vacation home, you can cook your own meals and save money on the cost of food. Dining out expenses can really add up when you’re on vacation, so consider shopping at a local grocery store and making your own meals to save some money.

Another way to save on your travel package is to make a group reservation with friends or relatives. Traveling together can save you a significant amount of money on the cost of accommodations and even some forms of transportation.

There are several secrets budget-conscious travelers know when it comes to finding dirt cheap airline tickets and securing a cheap travel package. Use some of these tips to secure cheap airline tickets, reduced rates on accommodations and to save money throughout your trip.

Tags: budget travel, cheap airline tickets, Cheap travel, Dirt cheap airline tickets

Making the Most of Dirt Cheap Airline Ticket Sales

When you’re searching for dirt cheap airline tickets for your next trip, you may be able to get a great deal when an airline advertises a sale. Some of the major airlines frequently offer deep discounts on standard fares, but these do have certain restrictions, including flight times and round trip booking requirements. How do you get the best deal? Here are some tips for making the most of dirt cheap airline ticket sales:

1. Consider the cheapest days to fly. In most cases, the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday and sometimes Thursday. You may also be able find dirt cheap airline tickets for departures on Saturday, depending on the season and the destination. The reason for this is that the airlines know that many people want to enjoy an extended vacation time from weekend to weekend, so they will increase their rates on weekend days.

2. Avoid flying on Friday or Sunday. Fridays and Sundays are typically the most expensive days of the week to fly, and are often not part of an airline flight sale. If you want to find the lowest prices on airline tickets, make sure you’re not booking a departure or arrival on a Friday or Sunday.

3. Upgrade your ticket at the gate. If you’re looking for first class tickets during an airline ticket sale but can’t secure one, you may be able to upgrade at the gate for a much lower fee. Many airlines won’t make first class rates eligible for their airline ticket sale, but you may still have the option to purchase an upgrade when you arrive at the ticket counter. It doesn’t hurt to ask, so consider this when booking.

4. Consider a package deal. Some airlines may post dirt cheap airline tickets in conjunction with a discounted hotel rate. Consider booking a package when the airline posts sale prices so that you are paying a lower fee for the total cost of your trip.

5. Be prepared to make a round trip purchase. Almost all airline sales require making a round trip purchase in order to take advantage of the discounted rate. If you only need a one-way ticket, you may need to look outside of the advertised sale for the best offer. In some cases, the round trip ticket purchase will actually be cheaper than a direct flight, one-way ticket, so plan accordingly.

Tags: cheap airfare, cheap airline tickets, Cheap travel, Dirt cheap airline tickets

New Southwest Travel Sale

The success of past efforts to put tickets on sale around the holidays has lead to more sales, and this time Southwest is joined by United.

Southwest announced one-way tickets starting at $59. You will likely need to book by November 23 to take advantage of the “Wanna Get Away” promotion. The best airports and cities to travel to in order to take advantage of the deal are: Las Vegas, New York, Orlando and Los Angeles. Smaller airports will still run you a little more, and so will trips over a certain distance. In order to capitalize on this and most Southwest sales, you have to book online, and you have to do it fast. The further in advance you make your tickets the cheaper they will be. This helps the airline book seats on flights way in the future that may otherwise not be fully-booked.

United made an announcement it will match Southwest’s prices during this period of time. The tickets on United will start at $118 round trip, a dead match, and will also be most affordable to major cities with short flights. United is just one of the many major airlines posting competitive pries to steal Southwest’s loyal customers. As the saying goes, when they compete, you win. Passengers are cashing in on these cheaper travel deals; as joblessness still remains high, airlines are not likely to increase ticket prices until after the new year. In most instances, Southwest is still the king of the sale. When compared, travelers who book on Southwest during this promotion will save about $20 per flight over those who book on United. Further, you should note Southwest has no baggage fee, which makes United and other competitors at least $15 per leg more expensive than Southwest.

Other airlines to consider during the next few weeks in order to capitalize on a good deal include: JetBlue, AirTran, Continental, Delta and Northwest. On some trips these airlines will be more competitive to the low sale price than others.

Hot Travel Tip:

Have you tried Bing’s travel service yet? Bing is a search engine touted by Microsoft as a “decision engine.” Bing reviews prices on multiple different travel sites for you, much like Expedia or CheapTickets. However, when you book through Bing, you don’t buy the tickets from Bing. Instead, Bing directs you straight to the airline to make your purchases.

Using discount services like Priceline can save you money, but travelers have recently complained that these sites do not always give you what you pay for. For example, there are frequent complaints of users getting booked on the wrong flight. In fact, personally, I have had one of these sites book me for a return flight prior to my departure.

Since you are booking through the airline and not a third party, there is less room for error. Ticket changes are also easier without as many fees. Avoiding change fees is key when the average airline charges $200 for you to do so.

Tags: airline ticket sale, bing, Dirt cheap airline tickets, round trip ticket sale, southwest airline sale, united airline sale

Holiday Travel: Dates to Avoid

Travel engines like Bing, Priceline and Cheap Tickets provide valuable advice about when to travel over the holidays. This year, flights are still expected to be lower than in the past. However, as the economy shows signs of recovery, they are expected to go up - so buy early!

When to Avoid

The dates to avoid around Thanksgiving and Christmas include:

• November: 25, 28 & 29
• December: (weekend before and after Christmas) 19-29, 23, 26-29
• January: 2-3

Tips for Holiday Travel

1. Take flights before 7AM. The hassle of an early airport trip will payoff big in your pocket. Aside from early morning flights, overnight flights tend to have the best deals. Many people shy away from overnight, but if you are flying from the west coast to the east coast, the time change and travel distance may play well to a red eye flight. The airport is usually less crowded on a red eye, meaning you will have less hassle getting to and from your gate.
2. Consider multiple airports in your area. For example, John Wayne airport in Orange County may have cheaper flights than LAX and additionally be less crowded in the holiday season.
3. Do not wait until the last minute to book your flight unless you have to. If you do have to, though, buy through a source like Priceline, which actually rewards you for waiting. Airlines will charge you much more to book last minute.
4. If you have to fly during a busy travel time, minimize the pain by only flying on one “red” day. For example, if you have to fly out for Thanksgiving on Wednesday, wait until Monday to fly home. This simple change will save you an average of $35.
5. Do not plan on parking at the airport! There may not be any spots left by the time you get there.

Average Air Fare

Sources predict the average air far for Thanksgiving traveling this year will be $340, while Christmas will be $374. Traveling for only one of these two holidays will save you immensely, especially when you tack on the fees for baggage, transport to the airport, and other penalties.

To avoid bag fees, consider shipping all of your gift prior to the date of travel then just carrying on. If you are shipping gifts, throw in heavy luggage. By packing items like sweaters and coats into the shipping containers, you will save having to pack these bulky items in suitcases. You may be able to totally carry on your travel necessities. Further, these are the items that can put you over the weight limit on airlines that do not charge for bags (which are very few these days).

Plan on buying toiletries when you arrive to avoid checking liquids. If you are staying with family, you may even request they have a few simple items for you when you arrive. They will be happy when they do not have to wait for you to get your bags once you arrive in town - ensuring you both benefit from the adjustment. Making these simple plans in advance will save an average family about $200 in fees on a single trip.

Tags: best days to fly over christmas, best days to fly over the holidays, days to avoid flying, Dirt cheap airline tickets, flying over christmas, flying over thanksgiving