Tips for finding cheap airfares

We’ve all been hit hard by this economic crisis and one place where its effects can really be seen is in airfare prices. 2011 is already seeing one of the highest spikes in airline fares in quite some time. It’s only March, and most of the major airlines have already hiked up their fees six times since December 2010! Also, many airlines have added a $400 fuel surcharge to each leg of a European trip.

You’re going to have to do some more digging to find those great deals. For those who need to travel for work, to visit family, or for that much-needed vacation, what are the available options? Well, even if it might take some more patience and time, there are still plenty of ways to find those much-loved airfare deals.

Be flexible

One of the best tips out there that we hear time and time again is that we need to be flexible. Yes, your vacation may start on a Friday or Saturday, but research has shown that the cheapest days to fly are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Fridays and Saturdays actually happen to be the most expensive. Also think about red-eye flights or flights that take place at odds times in the day. Not many people want to travel at those times and so their fares are bound to be a bit cheaper.

Try a different airport

Compare the prices from all the airports near you to see if there is a significant price difference. Alternatively, if you find a great fare that flies to a city that is near where you want to go, consider renting a car when you land to drive the rest of the route. For example, if you want to go from Boston to San Diego and you find a better deal round-trip from Boston to Los Angeles, think about renting a car and driving the roughly 120 miles from L.A. to San Diego. You could end up saving a lot of money.

Pick the right time to book

In order to find the best deals, you really have to know when the best time is; booking too early could cost you much more than you really should be paying. For example, if you’re thinking about a summer trip to Europe, wait until April to start looking for flights. If instead you want to travel in the fall, wait until July or August, and look for flights in September and October, one of the slowest travel periods of the year. Generally, take the road less traveled: pick the less popular months.

Sign up for travel alerts

Many airlines and travel sites offer services that allow you to pick out your preferred trip or destination and receive e-mails with deals, sales, and even when your preferred trip goes below a certain price.

Shop around

You should definitely visit as many travel sites as you can and compare all the prices. Not all booking sites are created equal: they do not all have the same deals. What is even more tricky is that a bunch of major airlines such as American Airlines have pulled their listings from such sites as Expedia and Orbitz, so you will have to go to their website separately to find their prices. One of my favorite travel sites is Kayak.com, which generates its own list of fares, but also allows you to pick and choose which other sites to compare against.

Be aware of student/young traveler deals

This particular tip may not apply to everyone, but there are some great sites out there that offer big discounts specifically targeted to students and young people. My favorites are studentuniverse.com and statravel.com.

When you see a good price, don’t wait

Lastly, many deals these days are not sticking around for you to see if you can find a better one. If you find a great price, assume it will not last long and jump on it. Of course, always make sure that you have already looked around and have compared multiple sites.

Prices may be rising and deals may be harder to find, but with a little more time and patience, your dream deal could be just around the corner!

Evann McGrory is an intern at Mom Central Consulting.

Mom Central