Finding dirt cheap airline tickets…
Key to travel these days is savings. If you’re taking a flight, then it’s important to find an airfare that won’t exhaust the bulk of your budget. Indeed, doing one’s homework when it comes to air travel can help you save and get your trip off to a flying start. But where to begin?
Factors affecting a flight’s cost include the season, the price of fuel, ongoing “fare wars,” and in some cases, a surcharge. Fortunately, for travel within the United States, you won’t need to worry about a surcharge just yet. However, this is certainly something that can change in the future, as the rules to the airfare game are constantly evolving.
As competition for passengers increases, airlines and online agencies are all attempting to offer the most competitive (and thus, attractive) price. When doing your research, look at ongoing “wars,” which may include regional, mini, or system-wide offers. Nowadays, many of the smaller airline carriers are reserving their best prices for their own websites. For instance, jetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines offer sales on a weekly basis.
Another good bet is Southwest Airlines. Their slogan of “Wanna Get Away” pretty much captures the feeling we all have from time to time to travel. Though it’s one of the largest carriers in the United States, Southwest nonetheless continues to operate like a smaller one, offering the best prices via its own site. Thus, if you’re traveling to any of its destination points, particularly on the west coast, go to Southwest.com directly. There, you’ll find “Click ‘n Save” special offers covering airfares, car rentals, and vacation packages.
In addition to looking at airfare prices at airline sites and online agencies like Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, SideStep, Kayak, and Farecast, you’ll also want to keep in mind these handy tips:
1. Formulate a “base price” based on your initial research. This will help you determine what is actually a good deal or a dud without recourse. A base price will also help you figure a realistic trip budget. How much will the airfare cost? How much is left?
2. If possible, be flexible when it comes to flight dates. If you don’t need to visit a city at a particular time, then search for the best fare overall. Oftentimes you’ll find that just a few weeks beyond the date you were searching for is a major discount for the same route.
3. Consider booking sites, such as Priceline or Hotwire, which list a number of deals daily. The caveat being however that once purchased, a ticket is nonrefundable. Again, take time to research and make an informed decision, one that you’ll be happy with. Taking into account price, travel dates, and the fine print.
4. Speaking of “fine print,” take a serious look at airlines that will discount, should your ticket lower in price. Usually, an airline will honor the difference if the price cut is within a certain window of time. However, look at what the “service fee” might be. After all, you wouldn’t want to get your refund and then turn it right around to cover a processing fee! (Related: check airfares often, even after you’ve made your purchase, so you’ll know immediately if there’s a discount/refund to be requested.)
5. It might sound strange, but it’s true: consider purchasing two tickets versus one. Instead of flying “one-way,” you might instead wish to book two flights – one to a connector city and then another from that city to your destination. For instance, a one-way flight from New York to San Diego may be more expensive than a flight from New York to Dallas and then, Dallas to San Diego. Compare the potential savings. It may just surprise you.
In short, when looking for dirt cheap airline tickets, take time to research your options. Fortunately for us travelers today, we have a number of online tools available. From price-comparison engines to extended-fare search. It does us well to make use of them. Also, be cautious, but not overly so. Remember to be prudent when it comes to a deal that seems “too good to be true,” but nonetheless open to the possibility of the real thing. In today’s world, it does exist. Good luck!
dirt cheap airline tickets