Find the Best Airfares
You probably already have a favorite fare-searcher web site, such as Expedia, or Travelocity, or perhaps About's affiliate, kayak.com. These sites are great because they search dozens of airlines.
However, they don't search them all. Southwest Airlines, for example, has excellent budget airfares but you're going to have to go directly to the source to find them: head to www.southwest.com.
Other tips:
- check out the bargain airlines, such as JetBlue: they don't fly everywhere; but if the routes fit your plans, you could save big-time.
- visit airline sites online: you might find a Web Special that doesn't show up in farefinders. Also, sign up for email newsletters that will notify you about bargains.
- Bundle in your hotel: when you search for airfares at a major travel site, you'll probably be offered lodgings too. Often, you can save with these airfare + hotel packages.
- For travel in Europe (where discount airlines often sell flights for $10 or less (plus fees and taxes) head to Flylc.com, which covers Ryanair and other low-cost airlines, and shows which airlines fly where.
Another strategy in saving money on airfares is to be flexible about your destination, and grab a flight to wherever's on sale. For example, lastminute.com sells last-minute vacations; just enter your departure city, and see what bargain getaways pop up.
