Keep
yourself updated on airfare wars by watching the news and reading the
newspaper. Look for limited-time promotional fares from major airlines
and airline companies just starting up.
Be flexible in scheduling your flight. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are typically the cheapest days to fly; late-night flights ('red-eyes'), very early morning flights and flights with at least one stop tend to be discounted as well.
Ask the airline if it offers travel packages to save money in other areas. For instance, is a rental car or hotel room available at a discount along with the airline ticket?
Find
out whether the stated fare is the cheapest, and inquire about other
options when speaking to the airline reservations clerk. If you're
using the Internet, check more than one Web site and compare rates.
Inquire
about standby fares if you're flying off-season. High season is a bad
time to fly standby because most airlines overbook flights, making it
difficult to find a spare seat.
Purchase
tickets through consolidators, who buy blocks of tickets and sell them
at a discount to help an airline fill up all available seats. Check the
travel section of the newspaper under 'Ticket Consolidators.'
Book
early. You can purchase advance-ticket discounts by reserving 21 days
ahead; book even earlier for holiday flights, especially in November
and December. Keep in mind that holiday 'blackout periods' may prevent
you from using frequent-flier miles.
Stay with the same airline during your entire trip to receive round-trip or connecting fare discounts.