Finding Cheap Air Travel

You've packed your bags and you're ready to get the heck out of wherever you are. Now a quick check online to find a cheap flight and you're off. NOT! Unfortunately there are no true short cuts for getting cheap air travel. Like just about anything else of value you shop for you need to shop around to get the best deal. Yes, you are going to need to check with a variety different travel sites and if you really want to save money you're going to need to be flexible, by varying your travel dates and patient, by waiting for the right time to purchase. All of that said if you are willing and able to invest a bit of time and put in a bit of effort, you may just find big savings on your next airfare purchase.

Watch for my next lens all about Travel Insurance Deals. Getting Cheap Air Travel combined with the Best Travel Insurance Deals can add up to big savings!

1. Book in Advance
For peak travel times not getting in early can cost you a lot of money. Air Travel fares will rise 21, 14, 7 and 3 days before departure. If you have a set itinerary and know you need to be in a specific place at a specific time - like home for Christmas - then plan ahead and book before these deadlines. Sometimes when you are needing to travel internationally, you will need to book even earlier. It's not a bad idea to reserve 3 to 6 months ahead of time to catch the best travel deals. All of that said, if you're a risk taker you can sometimes save big by waiting...

2. Booking Last Minute
If the plane is not full you can sometimes get really cheap air travel by purchasing last minute. The best way to know is to subscribe to a variety of airline newsletters. They will let you know their best last minute deals by dropped a note right in your mailbox. Also, check your local newspaper and websites that specialize in last minute travel deals.

3. Shop 'til you Drop
If if you think the first deal you see sounds really cheap, pause and verify. Where theres one there are often more. I always start by checking one of the big online travel sites like Expedia or CheapTickets. This gives me a first look at what deals are out there and who might be selling cheap. The nice part is that these sites do all of the heavy lifting for me. They check all of the major carriers and compare them with one click of my mouse. Then I head straight to the airline sites which are offerring the best fares. Sometimes they have even better deals also most of them have lowest price guarantees. So, if I have in fact found a lower price elsewhere I can apply for a further discount. Believe it or not this works! I've had it happen on hotel sites too.

4. Timing - when to Reserve
It can get frustrating and knowing when to pull the plug, stop shopping and just book can become a mystery - paralysis by analysis sets in. To help there are now some pretty cool fare prediction sites. You simply put in your entry and destination city and these sites will tell you if the fare is rising or falling and show you historical price trends so you are better able to make the decision.

Also, know that many air lines release their seat sales on Tuesday or Wednesday. It's a good idea not to buy on Monday or to travel on that day.

5. Flexibility
There are a few areas where being flexible can help you find cheap air travel. First is timing - if you can move your dates back or forward by even a day it can save you money. Another way is to look at alternate airports. Sometimes be willing to drive an hor or two beyond your typical gateway will save you a ton. This is especially true if you are near a state or provincial line. Even the departure taxes will vary dramatically from one airport to the next. If you can avoid the really big airports you will definitely save some cash.