Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tips to find Cheaper Airfares




Tips that can help you find a cheap flights:

1. Be Flexible with Your Travel Dates.

If you are not flexible with your dates you won’t be able to benefit from the pricing variations airlines use. Tickets prices always vary depending on the day and time of the week. Its always cheaper to fly mid week than on a weekend and after major holidays than before where no one flies especially the week after Christmas. It is cheaper to fly early in morning or late at night where some great deals can be found. When searching for flights the most important rule is to be flexible since you will find better deals which sometimes save you up to hundreds of dollars. You can test out different flight dates to find the best deals by using online airline ticket search engine such as Kayak or Airline owned companies such as JAL, Qantas etc.

2. Remember not all online airfare search engines are the same.

Most people use the larger well known online airfare search engine companies to book airline tickets since they are larger they are more trusted, this is a big mistake since they may be larger, they also charge more. The best airfare search engines to use are ones that have no affiliation with airline companies such Kayak and Skyscanner.

3. Search an Airline’s International Websites.

Don’t forget to search the international websites of all major airlines that you intended to fly on. Most of the time different version of the same website have different prices which can range from a few dollars to hundred. You will save even more depending on the currency exchange rate since they are usually charged the foreign currency depending on the version of the site you use.

4. Try Alternative Routes and Stop Overs.

Sometimes its cheaper to fly to Manila and the take a flight to Hong Kong than flying direct to Hong Kong or even flying to Macau then take a boat to Hong Kong. There are so many low cost carriers around the world that taking advantage of a good deal to another city than hoping on a LCC is sometimes the best way to go. Direct flights are always more expensive than connecting ones since it saves a lot of time but if you have time to spare why not save some money by spending some extra time flying. Usually it requires some time to work out which flights or airline connect with flight or airline but once you figure it out. It will be worth the effort since you will end up having more money to spend at your destination since you will be saving a lot of money

5. Take Advantage of Student Discounts.

If you are a student, there are many, many discounts available to you. Check out STA Travel and their search engine. You can find flexible student tickets on their website and agency stores.

6. Sign Up for a Rewards Program.

Rewards programs are a great way to get points towards cheap flights, discount fares, free upgrades, and free companion tickets. Even if you do not fly a lot joining one is beneficial to you since the points usually take a few years to expire, in that time you can probably earn at least one some type of discount or even a free upgrade.

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