Any tips on getting cheap airfare?

[happy2bamom]

I've tried travelocity and orbitz (and Southwest). I feel like there must be some secret to getting cheap airfare that I don't know about. Any ideas?

[Twoboos]

Farecast is kinda cool. It tries to "predict" the best time to buy tix.

http://farecast.live.com/

I've also just tried different dates/times on the usual sites. I think if you buy (or is it fly?) on a Wed it's usually lower, and in fact you don't need a Sat night stay to get the lowest fare.

I had also heard that fare-wars were coming, but I don't know if that's true.

Good luck, the airlines make this pretty difficult!!

[wellyes]

Try this NY Times article for tips: http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/travel/18praccheapair.html?scp=1&sq=cheap%20airfare&st=cse

Personally, I just book with Orbitz, they send you a check for the price difference if the fare goes down after you buy it! (In theory, at least, I've never got a check but I don't travel much).

[JTsMom]

A lot depends on where you are flying to/from. I always start with Expedia, just to get an idea of what to expect. Let's say Delta has the lowest fare on there. Next, I'll check Delta's website directly- that usually shaves off another $5. I also play around with dates if I can- both travel dates, and booking dates. Believe it or not, booking on a Saturday vs. a Tuesday might make a big difference in the price!

If I am flying to/from somewhere on Jet Blue's route, I always check there. They are often the best deal, and I just really like them- comfy seats, TV- all kinds of good stuff.

Southwest is another one worth checking.

THEN, I usually do one of those mega-search type deals. I've scored a couple of really great deals on cheapflights.com.

HTH! It's a PITA to really look for the best deal, but often it pays off big!

[jent]

There is a website called Kayak.com that searches other sites & compares them for you. They don't sell the tickets, but redirect you to the seller's site.

[Momof3Labs]

Personally, I just book with Orbitz, they send you a check for the price difference if the fare goes down after you buy it! (In theory, at least, I've never got a check but I don't travel much).

Orbitz will only do that IF someone purchases the exact same itinerary (e.g. both legs of a round-trip flight) for less, not just if the fare goes down in general. What are the chances of anyone purchasing exactly your itinerary? Pretty slim, I'd think.

To the OP: play around with what days you fly. Tuesday and Wednesday are typically the cheapest. Also, buying too far in advance doesn't seem to work well. It's not unusual to see airfare come down around 45 days before the flight (if it isn't already heavily booked).

[JenaW]

There is a website called Kayak.com that searches other sites & compares them for you. They don't sell the tickets, but redirect you to the seller's site.

I like kayak too. It has a fare forecaster too, and also allows you to check different days and closeby airports for cheaper fares. Sometimes I still check the actual airline site (after seeing a particular fare or flight on kayak) to make sure it isn't cheaper there, but we have bought all of our tickets that didn't have a specific airline need (i.e. frquent flier miles or vouchers) from kayak's search and have always felt like we were getting a good deal.

[IDcam]

I scored a 4-night stay at a Time Square hotel and roundtrip direct flights to Newark for two for $1000 using www.cheaptickets.com for our vacation last July. The trick was the price that came up was for the best hotel room they offered. Once I clicked to see the details I was able to down-grade to a city-view (rather than Time Square view) room and the price dropped significantly.

Here is what is on my favorites list:
www.airfarewatchdog.com
www.cheapair.com
www.cheaptickets.com
www.expedia.com
www.orbitz.com
www.sidestep.com
www.travelocity.com
www.ultimatefares.com

Also, try Costco Travel. They sometimes have good deals. Another suggestion is booking directly with the airline. GL!