Dirty Airfare Secrets

You may be able to find airline tickets to be more affordable when you purchase them online. If you purchase an airfare ticket through one of the airline’s representatives, you may end up paying more because you’re using up their time to purchase your flight. However, if you look for your ticket online, you’re using up your time only and not their time to purchase your ticket, therefore chances are good that you’ll be able to find a better deal. It’s a good idea to check online for pricings as well as call into the airline in order to see a bigger picture of your flight options and pricings. An airfare bargain hunter always check all options before making a purchase.

Some great sources to purchase tickets online:

Cheaptickets

Onetravel

Travelocity

Priceline

Always check for alternate routes on your flights. This can turn out to be a great money-saver. Different flights do have different routes that they use to get to their destinations. For example, a flight to London can be accomplished by flying to Gatwick or Manchester instead, which may be quite a bit less costly. This idea will most likely be used on your international trips, as international flights are much more prone to have alternative routes available that can save you a bundle for a little bit of extra effort.

Your chances of acquiring a cheaper ticket is significantly better when you explore all your airport options. Use alternate airports when searching for airfare. Most major cities have more than one airport to depart from. Always consider the alternative departure locations that can save you on your ticket. Something to note, however, is that if the cost of traveling to a farther airport outweighs the savings on your ticket, then the deal is not worth it. Before you jump on a cheaper flight package from a farther airport, try to factor in the additional costs of travel to that airport to have a clearer understanding of what would be the best flight deal.

Family travel often include an infant child with the family. If you travel with a child under 2 years of age, he or she is qualified to travel for free. Let the child sit on your lap and you’ll be able to save yourself from another costly ticket! However, some airlines these days no longer allow the lap child ticket (also known as infant ticket) free of charge. Some require that any children below 2 years of age will have a ticket priced at 10% of the adult’s ticket, and those from 2-11 years of age will be priced at 50%. Most airlines these days may actually charge full fare for the age group of 2-11 years. Always check with the airline to be sure. Another good idea to have a lap child ticket is if the flight is not full, and there is an empty seat next to you, you can place the child in the empty seat for no extra charge and save the hassle of holding the child in your lap.

As a recent experiment, various airlines have begun testing a trend by increasing prices over the weekend from the night of Friday night until the end of Sunday. If other airlines don’t increase their fares to match the prices, the cost will return back to normal on Monday. You can use this knowledge to save on airfare by booking your flight around the price hikes. If you’re booking a weekend flight, keep in mind that staying over the weekend will provide you with a better airfare deal, however, try not book your flight to depart anytime from Friday night to Sunday night in order to avoid the airfare price increases.