Ways to Get Cheap Airfare

Many data mining tools assist you in checking the price of several airlines and discount resellers simultaneously.go airfare image by Mograph from Fotolia.com

Whether you are planning a honeymoon or a round-the-world trip, you will want to spend the majority of your budget on your actual trip and not just getting to the destination. Thanks to a variety of computer programs and airlines entering the world of e-commerce, there are many tools and trick to help you in finding the absolute lowest cost for your route. Combining several of these tips and doing your research will ensure you get the cheapest airfare available.

Airline Sales

One of the best way to catch sales and deals is to sign up for e-mail blasts for all the airlines in your area, or that you wish to travel on, and check frequently for sales. Many foreign based airlines have "members only" sales and promotional codes to enter upon check out when booking airfare. If the airline does not offer a selection on their website to sign up for their newsletter or deal alerts, there is typically a section devoted to upcoming or last minute deals that you can bookmark and recheck frequently on your own.

The day of the week you fly can significantly impact the cost of the airfare. Flying on a Saturday and returning on a Tuesday is far less expensive than flying out on Thursday or Friday and back on Monday.

When searching for airfare, try at least three different types of websites to see the varying prices. Ticket resellers, who purchase from the airlines and sell to you at a discount price are one type of website (such as Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity). Check the airline websites directly, and try a travel search engine (such as Kayak or Bing travel) which will use data-mining algorithms to search all of these sites and provide you with the lowest fare from a variety of different airlines and websites.

You can get a credit card that allows you to earn frequent flyer miles for every dollar spent, and once you accumulate a certain amount, you can redeem them for free or discounted airfare. The key is to apply for a credit card that allows you to redeems your miles with the largest variety of airlines and provides you the opportunity to earn the most miles for the least amount of dollars spent. Additionally, many airlines, like Continental and Delta, allow you to shop through their websites at a wide range of popular retailers, including Staples and Barnes and Nobles, and earn frequent flyer miles for the airline. These programs grant substantially more frequent flyer miles per dollar spent compared to credit card programs. You may be able to earn as much as ten miles for each dollar spent, compared to one mile for one dollar, which is the policy for most credit card programs.