Make no mistake—I love to travel. It’s the planning and packing that I despise. Currently, I am trying to find a reasonable price on two plane tickets to one destination and trying to book an affordable rental car and a hotel room in a different city. Confusing? Yes, I know. But, deals exist; it’s just a matter of tracking them down.
By following some simple rules you can drastically improve your chances of finding a ticket in your price range. Here are some that have helped me in the past:
Be Flexible. If you absolutely don’t need to be at your destination at a specific time, let the fares dictate the day and time of your departure. You are likely to score a better rate by booking a seat on less popular early morning or late evening flights.
Forget About Flying on Fridays. As a general rule, it’s cheapest to fly on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. However, most airlines require a Saturday stay to receive the lowest rate.
The Earlier the Better. Try to book your reservation as far in advance as possible. Generally, airlines employ four different timetables for advance purchase: 21-day, 14-day, 7-day, and 3-day. The farther in advance you book your flight, the better rate you are likely to find.
Sign Up for Fare Alerts. When an airfare war ensues, the price of a plane ticket can fall in a matter of minutes and the low rate tickets sell like hotcakes. Make sure you are on the mailing list of airlines that you have traveled with in the past. I have even signed up to receive special emails from various travel websites so I can be notified immediately when a great rate becomes available.
Keep Your Airline Options Open. Instead of searching for discount fares on individual airline sites try visiting travel websites such as, FareAlert.com, Kayak.com, and Farechase.com , which provide amazing deals. These websites are not travel agencies; rather they provide you with comparison-shopping options from other popular websites like Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, and the airlines themselves. Another tip: choose “none” as a carrier preference.
Consider Another Airport. I usually fly out of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, but when I can’t find a decent rate using it as my departure airport I look up flights leaving from nearby Midway. Believe it or not, I have found some great bargains when I plugged in smaller regional airports that would usually cost an arm and a leg to fly out of (it’s hit or miss). The idea is to be flexible—make a list of all the airports that are near your departure and arrival city—one of them could be the ticket to your affordable fare.
Bottom line: Plan ahead and be flexible–with your travel times, dates, and departure airport. By doing so, you open yourself up to more options and it is likely you will be able to land a great deal.