Cheap Air Line Tickets

Tracking down elusive cheap air line tickets can become a consuming obsession - a hard, time-sucker and a frustrating folly when you don't have a plan. Prices change constantly and just when you think you've finally found that perfect fare.... Cyberspace captures it with a variety of politically correct excuses: special no longer available, error message, fare class gone, black out dates apply, special not available from your preferred departure city, etc. - and, you have to begin the search (the folly) again.

With an expanding selection of often late air carriers flying from varied US airports to exotic destinations, the choices for international airfare can be -- bluntly put -simply overwhelming! I confess, my ‘job' is finding clients the best airfare deals (www.airBank-travel.com) for their international travel, taking the stress out of the deal and ensuring it is not a frustrating folly. So let's get serious by sharing some insider tips from an experienced cheap air line tickets junkie for uncovering the best value tickets and taking the stress out of the deal.

The airplane ticket market is like a seat on a roller coaster - up, down, sideways, roundabout and rarely flat - the only constant: prices change from day to day. The best air fare deal is not always the lowest priced fare. Wading through the overabundance of fine print for each ticket, plus the inconsistencies from one airline to the next can be a real daunting task. But wait, there is a solution: Have a strategy in place to find the best fare.

A strategy is simply ‘a plan to win!' - so here are a few insider tips for a plan you may want to consider:

Step 1: Buy early

The major airlines release their airplane tickets for sale 330 days in advance. If you're planning to begin your 2008 vacation on September 15 and return on September 28, the air tickets will be available for sale 330 days prior to September 28, 2008. (Some of the "discount" airlines, like SouthWest, do not follow the 330 day rule.)

Many times, prices are lowest when the tickets are released. Why?

The seats on an airplane are assigned different fare classes (each airline has its own system so this becomes very confusing very quickly) - you could pay $699 for a flight from JFK to Frankfurt and the person in the seat next to you could have paid $1,099 or more. The lowest priced fare classes sell out first and once these fares are gone, they're gone - unless the airline assigns more availability to the class. If the seats on the flight are selling well (which happens at peak travel times), the airline may decide to leave the remaining seats in the higher fare classes. There is no sure way to know what will happen in the future, or whether an air carrier will unexpectedly issue a last-minute sale to try to fill a plane.

Tip: Holiday travel

If you're planning to travel during peak holiday times and popular school vacations, the lowest fares sell out quickly and few, if any, airlines have special sales. Also, check on the holiday and event schedule for your destination and try to avoid these peak dates. If you must travel during a holiday, buy tickets early for the best prices.

Step 2: Flexible dates

Air travel tends to be less expensive mid-week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) as airlines charge between $20 - 40 per ticket for a weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and often Monday) travel surcharge.

Before beginning your search for the best airfares, decide on a range of dates for your trip. When searching for the lowest price fares, search 1 or 2 days before and after the dates you prefer to travel. Some carriers do not fly every day; often the lowest class is sold out on one day but may be available the next. Flexibility with travel dates will help secure that elusive low fare.

Tip: Seasons

If you can be flexible in when you travel, you can save a lot of money by traveling during the low or shoulder seasons. Typically, low season is when the weather is the least favorable in the destination country. Low season for travel to Europe is the winter months, when much of Europe experiences chilling weather and some tourist attractions and resort/hotel properties may be closed.

Low season to Australia, however, is the month of August. With seasons opposite those in North America, August is the dead of winter in Australia - while Southern Australia will have temperatures in the 50s, the northern tropical areas are warm and it's the dry season in the northeastern World Heritage rainforests (less chance of being drenched while walking through the forests...). "Winter" doesn't always mean terrible weather.

When traveling during the low season, it's good to check historical temperatures and average rainfall to avoid any unpleasant surprises when you arrive.

Shoulder season typically is in Spring and Fall. Travel during this season offers reduced pricing on airfare and often, a good deal on land accommodations, too!

Step 3: Alternative airports

Typically flights to and from the largest airports (JFK in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago) and air carrier's hub cities (such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Charlotte) have the best pricing - but not always. Check pricing and availability from alternate airports close to you.

When using airfare booking engines, use a wide search for airports to pull up as many departure choices as possible. Using the 3 letter airport code "NYC" will search for all New York City area airports. Using JFK or LGA or EWR will search for fares available only from the individual airport. Make a list of the airports near you that might have low air fares before you begin your search.

Step 4: The most important element of your low airfare quest -

TIP: The Value of Time

Determine what your time is worth and set a limit for how long you will spend on the quest for cheap air line tickets. Finding the absolute lowest airfare can become an all-consuming addiction. Hours pass by quickly when you're searching multiple air fare booking engines, air line websites and other avenues for that cheap airfare (more on ways to find the cheapest fares in the next article).

If you value your time and feel pressure that you can't get everything done, consider whether the money you save is worth the added life stress. For example, if I'm working a part-time job to pay for my vacation and can make $15 per hour, have I made a good deal if my 6-hour quest for the lowest priced airfare deal to Europe is $25 less than published air fare? While I may experience the temporary high of finding a good deal, I actually "spent" $90 of my time to save $25 - wouldn't I have had more fun spending more time with my significant other - or searching for one.. Oops, in my case the latter doesn't apply!

Flying off for now - do plan your strategy for finding cheap air line tickets before you begin your search - you'll be able to reduce the time to find your tickets, successfully make a great deal, toss stress out the window and - enjoy the experience.