The secret to getting dirt cheap airfares involves timing and maximizing rewards. One of the most simplest ways to get free airfare tickets, or at least cheaper flights, is by using a credit card that rewards you with air miles. Use this credit card for things in which you already have to spend on, such as food, gas, and paying your utility bills. If you have to spend the money, you might as well be capitalizing on it. If you use your card for your basic needs, this alone should get you a free, or at least very cheap, flight every 6 -8 months.

What if you need to fly sooner and if you don't have enough points? No worries, you can piggy pack the rest of the points in a very short amount of time. Use your card to purchase money orders or travelers checks and make them out to your self. Sure you will lose a few bucks for the fees for each, but it is still cheaper than paying for a flight. Some cards even give you air miles for cash advances. As long as you put the cash back into your bank account you should be good to go.

Believe it or not, there is an art in purchasing dirt cheap airfare. Here are a few things to remember.

Either purchase tickets 3 to 4 months in advance or at the last minute, such as the last 6 days before take off. Check either Orbitz or Travelocity and fix the departure and return dates between Tuesday and Thursday. Next change the departure dates to 2 or 3 days into the future and into the past for determining the absolute cheapest price you can get. Then change the return date and do the same thing. Once you find the absolute cheapest price you want for you dates go to Priceline where you can bid lower than your found price. If your lucky on Priceline you maybe able to get it even cheaper, but often times not. However, it is still worth the look, especially for international flights.

If you are going to fly international I would recommend flying into an international hub and purchasing your next destination ticket there. This is good to keep in mind if you know there won't be as many people traveling from your connecting flight to your final destination. You can also check these prices all online before you purchase any tickets so you will know ahead of time.

As you can see somtimes to get dirt cheap tickets invloves a lot of work. It really comes down to how much you are willing to search vs how much you are willing to pay. However, these tips should hlep you have more speding money for you next trip, rather than wasting it on airfare.