Many of the vacation plans that we make also require airfare. Most of the time, airfare is the most expensive part of the package if you don’t plan it right. Since the economy has been slow and fuel prices go up, airlines are adding fees for everything they can think of.
Many airlines charge now for each piece of luggage. If you were use to getting at least a soft drink while in the airplane, be prepared, many charge you for that too.
Many of us plan our trips at least a few months in advance.
We think we won’t find airfare later on so we end up paying an incredibly high price for a flight that had we waited, it would have been cheaper. What can you do to prevent this costly mistake? Are there ways of getting airfare at a lower rate? Yes, and it involves research and using the tools given to you such as the internet. Be patient and ready to make some changes to your plans.
You might have to be a little more flexible with your dates. Also, don’t fall for the discounts that are sometimes offered. Most of the times there have restrictions and fees that apply and you may not find out immediately. Always check their cancellation policies; there are usually penalties that will end up making the flight even more expensive.
EARLY RESEARCH
Airfare rates change at least three times throughout the day. The best time to find the best offers are in the morning. However, it’s good to check throughout the day, if the flight is not at full capacity, by 5 pm they will do anything to fill those empty seats.
OFF SEASON
Try traveling during unpopular times. For instance, one of the peak times to travel to Florida is between June and August. Since this is the case, try traveling mid September to mid November, when it’s not that busy. You will actually save a lot more on airfare and even resorts, since this is not the busiest time of the year for them.
MID WEEK
Popular days of travels are Mondays and Fridays, mostly due to business travelers. You want to look into traveling Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Airlines will usually lower their airfares for these days in order to fill the empty seats.
FLIGHT TIMES
Another good way to get cheap airfare is to adjust the hours of travel. Consider flying between 2 am and 6 am. Taking the red “red-eye” can actually save you quite a bit. Normally, travelers do not like flying during these hours.
ROUND TRIP
Always book a round trip fare. It will actually cost a lot less than one way travel. Many one way tickets can cost you almost as much as a round trip ticket.
AGE
If you are a senior citizen or a student, ask about discounts. Almost all airlines do offer some type of discount and if you can get that discount use it.
PACKAGES
Since you are already planning a vacation, why not check into purchasing a complete package. Many times the best airfare deals are in the packages. These packages include hotels, rental cars and airfare. They do offer pretty good packages and just in case you didn’t really want the rental car, try adding up everything offered to you on this package separately. You will see that you will save more with the package compared to purchasing everything separately. The whole point is you have to be patient and a smart shopper. Do research, check all the airlines, compare airfare costs, and use all the tools at your disposal. You can vist the websites online such as Orbitz, Travelocity, Cheap Tickets, etc.
These websites can give you a list of al the airlines, times and cost. Just before you purchase those airline tickets, make sure to read the fine print. There are at times hidden fees. Since most have restrictions and fees that are at times higher than the airfare, you want to make sure you use the airline tickets. Also, maybe you want to check into insurance, many do offer that for an extra cost. See if it’s something you may need, it might be very beneficial to you. Do your best not to travel during the holidays, you will end up paying much more, no matter what destination you travel to. Also, if you notice a particular airline is offering lower airfare rates then check the other airlines, they be competing and offering better airfares.
All these tips apply to both national and international travels. However for international travelers there is much more research to do. You have to know what restrictions they may have for luggage, items carried on the planes and you want to make sure you won’t have any problems in your destination. Security is now a big and important issue with all countries. They are doing their best to protect and make sure we all have safe trips. Due to the security level, there are certain rules and regulations that must be followed. Make sure that you check into these before your flight. Read up on what you need to know in order to have a safe and fun trip.