5 Steps to Finding Cheap Plane Tickets Online

In my years of traveling--first as a student and now as a young professional on a budget--I've developed a set of strategies for finding the cheapest plane tickets possible. They are time-tested and, while certainly not infallible, have saved me thousands of dollars that have been better spent in my destination...or on additional plane tickets.

**Note: I do not represent any of the linked sites, nor will I receive compensation for mentioning them; they have simply proven to be the most effective tools for my purposes.

Before you start your search, it is paramount to have realistic expectations of what a "cheap" flight is for your itinerary and schedule. There may have been a time when roundtrip flights to Europe could be had for $200, but that time has passed. (If you find a deal like that, let me know!)

1. Cast a wide net

To get an idea of the general price for your flight itinerary, head first to a website that will search many different airlines for the best price. In years of hunting for bargain plane fares on countless "low fare" websites, I've found Kayak.com to be the best starting point, hands down. After you enter your search parameters--airports, dates, and flight type (one-way, roundtrip, multi-city, etc.)--Kayak searches thousands of flights and returns a list organized from lowest to highest price.

2. Consider alternative dates

Occasionally, you'll be presented with the perfect fare on the first search. If the prices seem inordinately high, or if you'd simply like to see prices for different date pairs, it's time to use my favorite Kayak function: "Modify or Start Search Over." Unlike many travel websites that require you to return to the start page and re-enter all of your information, Kayak pops a window to allow you to modify every aspect of your search: city pairs, dates, time, non-stop preferences, class preferences, and number of travelers. With this function, you can easily explore other possibilities.

TIP: sign up for a Kayak account (fast and easy) to get access to "date flexible" searches. This function--well worth the quick sign-up process--allows you to search from 1-3 days on before and after your departure and/or return dates.

"They" say that the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday-Thursday. There is probably some truth in that, but it is by no means universally true. By choosing the date flexibility option, you can see what the general trend is. Try a few different departure and return dates with the flexibility set to "3 days before and after" to see if prices change drastically.

3. Consider alternative airports

Occasionally, a nearby airport will offer a significantly lower fare because of airline availability, location, etc. Once you've run your initial search, choose the "Modify or Start Search Over" option and select "show nearby airports" under the From and To airport fields.

If you are flying to a location in Europe and/or Asia, try flying into a major/hub city and using one of the major discount airlines to reach your final destination. This is a particularly useful strategy when you need to reach a smaller city. For example: instead of flying round-trip from Chicago to Hong Kong, you can buy a roundtrip ticket to London and hop a cheap flight on Oasis Hong Kong airlines ($300!) to Hong Kong. Others to try: AirAsia, RyanAir, and EasyJet. For more discount airlines by country, visit Attitude Travel's listing.

Also consider the multi-city option. If you plan to fly from Chicago to London, but will also travel to Dublin during your trip, try a multi-city search for Chicago - London, Dublin - Chicago. Recently, I flew from my hometown in Michigan to London and returned from Helsinki with a savings of $100. Considering that I was planning to go to Helsinki anyway, I enjoyed the additional savings of a flight back to London to catch a return flight.

**Note: Don't be seduced by cheap fares from a distant airport. This is a particularly easy trap to fall into if you live in a small town with a small (e.g., expensive) airport. If you live in northern Wisconsin, four hours from the nearest city, it's easy to think "well, I'll just buy a cheap flight from Minneapolis." Before clicking the "BUY" button, add to the fare the cost of driving to a remote airport, parking fees to store your car, and possible hotel stays for early morning or late-night departures and arrivals. Also consider how you'll feel as you step off of your return flight and face the long drive home. As someone who often flies from a small town (6 hours from the nearest large city), I find that after factoring in the extra transportation cost, time, and hassle of flying from a larger city, the cheaper flight looks less desirable. In fact, it often ends up being more expensive!

4. Maximize your options

After you identify the cheapest date and city pair, take three key actions:

- Set up an email alert. Kayak (and other sites) will email you when the price drops below the current price, or you can customize it to email you when the price drops below a level that you specify. This is especially handy if you have 1+ months before departure, because flight prices can change drastically in short periods of time.

- Run your search on Expedia, Hotwire, and Priceline. Kayak does not search these major sites, and you can occasionally find a great deal (particularly on Expedia).

- Run your search directly on the airline's website. Kayak searches services like Orbitz, which often charge a booking fee. By going directly to the airline's website, you can sometimes save the booking fee and more. Note: this will not work if your cheap Kayak fare uses multiple airlines.

5. Book your flight (proceed with caution!)

If you see a price that fits your budget and schedule, book it! Prices change rapidly in the airline industry, so an understanding of the general price range will allow you to spot deals quickly. There's nothing worse than seeing a great price, thinking, "well, I'll wait," and waking up the next day to find that it's gone up $200. It's also important not to act too soon--it's equally gutting to buy a flight too quickly and find that the price has gone DOWN by $200.

TIP: once you've purchased your flight, stop searching! This eliminates the "I should have waited" factor. If you can't resist, don't kick yourself but consider it an education in cheap fare-finding.

Good luck!

I have also used these fare-finding websites:

Travelocity

Yahoo! Travel