How to find good airfare prices? About This Page:

[QueenMommy]

This probably seems dumb but for years DH has had so many miles that we never really worried about prices and just went with convienence. Now he doesn't have any miles (cause our two recent trips) and we need to get flights for the us to take our oldest DD. I am so confused that I am not seeing any of those great $100 one way prices I see people mention. How do people find and book those? Am I traveling on the wrong days, wrong airports, wrong time of year? Any advice / help would be a god send!

Thanks!

[Carousel96]

I never find them either -- I sometimes think they offer all of 4 seats at those prices and you need a first name starting with X to qualify!
I usually check Kayak.com to see what kind of fares are out there at the time I'm booking. Then I know if my proposed flights are within the average or high end.
I also try to search by "schedule and price" if that option is available, so I can see how my plans affect the airfare. The way I see it, a $69 airfare isn't worth it if it gets in so late I only have time to check into a hotel room. I'll pay a little more to go earlier, or first thing the next morning.

[Sue M.]

I look on Kayak too, but not all airlines are shown there. I don't know what airport you fly out of. But checking Kayak is a good start, as well as Travelocity, Expedia, etc to see who is having a seat sale, then I book directly with that airline. I also sign up for airline alerts. I get Continental, Delta, United, American, and Southwest alerts. That's who usually has good fares from the west coast. I hear alot about Jet Blue and Southwest on the east coast, but not familiar with fares there.

[chezp]

I look on Kayak and check fares with people like Southwest or JetBlue, but they may not be an option for where you're flying from.

[revral]

Checking sites such as Kyak, Expedia, and Orbitz is a good first step as it lets you get a good idea what prices are available for the dates and times you want. Once you've done that I would go to airline's website and see what they offer usually the airline's website will have the same prices but without any additional fees other than the taxes/fees they're required to charge. Sites such as Kyak, Orbitz etc. usually charge additional fees (ticketing fee, booking fee) to book your airfare which can quickly eat up any savings between their price and that on an ailine's website. Also flying during the week will be cheaper than on a weekend think Tuesday to Tuesday instead Sunday to Saturday. Also being as flexible as possible can get you some great deals. Another thing to try, assuming you have some airline miles but not enough for a free ticket, is to poke around the frequent flier club pages on the airline's website and see if they'll let you pay for your ticket(s) partly in miles and partly in cash. In August I got a really good on Alaska Airlines doing this. In February I'm flying round trip from Seattle to Orlando (MCO) non-stop flights both ways, perfect times for 15,000 miles and $215.

[notjustamom]

I don't know what airport or airlines you have available but Southwest usually has good deal on certain weekday departures. Good luck

[FanofFlorida]

Use online tools for airline websites like: "Low Fare Calendar" where they will show you the lowest price of your itenary for each day over a month. The other alert tools mentioned work great. I also receive updates from Booking Buddy and Budget Travel, that often share great sales.

Keep your plans flexible as possible. Sometimes, arriving a day early or leaving a day later can save hundreds.

Finding low airfare is like watching for hot stocks! You must be tenacious! Check often, and sometimes multiple times a day. Prices can change in a moment. I lost a great rate in the middle of the online reservation process. It about killed me! I even called and begged the agent to reduce the pricing, but no could do. (I waited a month, and actually found a better deal on the same airline)

[mdobereiner]

Originally Posted by revral

Sites such as Kyak, Orbitz etc. usually charge additional fees (ticketing fee, booking fee) to book your airfare which can quickly eat up any savings between their price and that on an ailine's website.

I just wanted to clarify this point as it relates to Kayak (which is what I always use.) Kayak is basically a search a engine that does the work for you in terms of pricing out travel (flights, car rentals, hotels, etc.) You don't actually book anything through them (thus do not incur any additional fees.) What happens is that Kayak will search the airline sites, expedia, travelocity, etc and present you with the cheapest fares. Then it's up to you decide who you want to book through (directly from the airline, expedia, travelocity, etc.) I LOVE Kayak for many reasons (it's a 1 stop shop, and the price displayed for flights INCLUDES taxes and fees, etc.) I do know though that it doesn't pull Southwest in it's searchs so if I want to check their fares, I have to go to their site seperately.

GL!
Mel

[LuvDisney2]

I like to fly out of Allentown, so I always check the carriers websites that service that airport first. Then I check kayak, expedia, orbitz, etc. Sometimes the airfare I get directly from the airlines website does not even show up on those other searches. If I have a little wiggle room, I also play around with the departing/arriving dates.

For instance, I was originally planning a trip from Sat, Jan 9th until Sun, Jan 17th. The airfare was not outrageous (89.00 each way), but then I decided to play around with the dates and just for the heck of it I checked prices for Sun, Jan 10th until Mon Jan 18th. I was able to get airfare for $59.00 each way.

[sweetyface77]

Two words to start you off: BE FLEXIBLE! If you are bit more flexible with your travel dates, you can find better deals.

Another tip: Try and fly out during the week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) if possible. Busy travel days are usually Mondays, Fridays and the weekends. When I book flights, I usually fly out of Boston on a Wednesday and fly in on a Tuesday. I can usually save about $50-$100 depending on the airline and time of year.

My last tip: Keep looking! I've gone the route of going through Expedia, Orbitz, Hotwire, Cheaptickets and Travelocity, but for me I seem to score better when I go directly through Airtran.com and Jetblue.com. Also, check for flights on Tuesday and Wednesday nights (between 11:00pm and 2 or 3 AM). Believe it or not, this is when most airlines release sale fares. I scored tickets to WDW for me and DD on a whim through Jetblue. I logged on at about 1am and got seats for $59.00 each way. Normally, I can't fly out of Boston for less than $100 each way!

I hope this helps some. Good Luck!

[Calie71]

Booking really early as always worked for me, but I can't be flexible, we have to plan my DH's vacations a year in advance and I need the dates and times that I have planned out. Like the last person was saying I have heard that if you go directly to the airline at midnight for the time zone the headquarters/main hub is in on a Wednesday night is when you will get the best fair I am planning on trying it this time around. Good Luck

[jenjen1127]

I always look directly on the airline website. But being in Jersey I always go with Continental which is by far the cheapest out of Newark since it is considered a "hub" for Continental.