Ticket prices can be very different for people on the same flight. A seat can cost $250 for one person and $1000 for the person sitting next to them. There are many ways to make your reservation look like the first passenger's and not the second passenger's.
As soon as you know when and where you want to go, book your flight. If you book your flight at least 3 weeks in advance, the airline will give you a discount. Most of the time, the best rates include a stay on Saturday night and travel dates during the week.
Compare the prices of different airlines at the many online travel agencies. Check at least three different sites because each one may have a different number of tickets and different service fees.
Be flexible about when you travel, because even changing the time of your flight on the same day can change the price you paid for the reservation. Flights early in the morning or late at night that aren't as popular tend to have lower prices. Also, try to avoid the summer, spring break, Christmas, and New Year's, which are the busiest times to travel. The off-season and other times when planes aren't full to capacity are usually the best times to find cheap tickets.
If you're going to a big city, check the prices at any smaller airports nearby. It might be cheaper to fly into a smaller city nearby. When thinking about this option, don't forget to think about other costs, like renting a car or taking a taxi. This could also make travel take longer.
In some cases, you might save money if you break up your trip with stops. But make sure the money you save is enough to make the stopover worthwhile.
Think about getting a package deal for your trip. When you book a hotel room and a rental car along with your plane ticket, you can sometimes save money. If you are going on a cruise, ask the cruise company if they work with any airlines. Some credit card companies also have deals with certain airlines to offer discounts. The opposite is also true: many airlines have deals with hotel chains and rental car companies that can save you money on other travel costs.
When making a reservation with a live travel agent, ask if this is the best price they can offer or if there are any specials that offer the same trip for a cheaper price.
Use any special discount programmes that you qualify for. Students between the ages of 16 and 26 can get special discounts, and the AARP may be able to help seniors get lower fares.
If you are part of a group or are travelling with one, you may be able to get a better deal on airline reservations. If you belong to a club or service group, find out if they have a plan for travel. Ask for a group discount if you are travelling with a group. Employees of the government, the military, or a company can often get discounts. Often, airlines will give these discounts to people who are not travelling for business.
When there are a lot of people in a group, it can be cheaper to charter a plane than to book each seat separately. This could save you both time and money, since the charter plane can work around your schedule and all of the group's bags can be handled at once, making it much less likely that any of them will get lost.
When you check in at the airport, ask if there are any special deals to move up to a better seat. Sometimes you can move up to first class for a small fee, which is well worth it on long flights because the seats are bigger and there is more leg room.
