The Best Plane Ticket Websites - or How Not To Get Screwed By The Airlines

I'm not going to put any ticket brokers on this page unless they're worth checking out. If you want the best rate, check your flight on each of the vendors. If you're feeling lazy, they're arranged in order of usefulness. Start at the top and you'll probably get the best deal anyway.

cFares
This is the clear winner in my book. It's not just one site, it's every site. It basically just automates the task of searching around for the best fares. It searches Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, every big name travel site out there, with the exception of Southwest. I'm not sure how long it has been around, but it's been giving me the best rates I've seen, so it takes the number one spot.

Rating: 10/10

Kayak
Kayak is the original multi-site search bot. It works like cFares, searching all of the major online air vendors and some of the smaller ones as well. It's almost on par with cFares, but it has a tendency to miss some of the cheapest tickets that are available. On the other hand, it still does come out ahead on occasion, so it's worth checking out. At the very least you need to know what it is, so other backpackers don't think you're an idiot.

Rating: 9/10

Southwest
When it comes to cheap airfares, Southwest is pretty darn good. That is, if they fly to your destination. And from wherever you're starting. Ok, they really don't operate in a huge area, but if you're flying in the Southwestern United States, you can get a great deal here. cFares and Kayak won't list their rates, so give them a glance.

Rating: 8/10