Looking for ways to save money on that flight???

[mshheaddoc]

http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/16/pf/cheap_tickets/index.htm?section=money_pf

Some good tips on how to find cheap tickets from CNN.com:

1. Fly during the slowest days of the week
Tuesday and Wednesday are the slowest flying days of the week for business travel so demand is low, and so are the fares.
"The Monday and Friday flights are more expensive as many business travelers depart on Monday morning and return Friday afternoon," says Harrington. "The best deals are usually found on mid-week mid-day departures. Just ask yourself what flight would be the most unattractive to a business traveler and pick that one."
2. Fly during the slowest time of the year
Travelers who are serious about seeking cheap fares should travel only during the slowest time of year, says Hobica. That rules out holidays, as well as spring, summer and winter.
What's left? Fall. Hobica recommends traveling anytime between Labor Day and Thanksgiving for the best deals.
3. Fly to popular destinations at unpopular times
If you must travel during the summer, seek out destinations that are popular during the winter, says Hobica. Northerners should consider summering in Florida to take advantage of discount flights. But if Orlando in August fails to impress, budget-conscious jetsetters might prefer a Colorado ski town in the off-season.
Harrington suggests being completely flexible about the destination, based on the fare. "Check out the airline Web sites, and see what destinations they have on sale, then build your vacation around that destination," she says.
4. Buy during the cheapest times of the day
Airfares change three times a day as airlines periodically lower prices to fill up flights, and the early bird gets the worm, according to Hobica. "Early morning is the time to buy." he says, recommending that flyers check fares every five hours to try and snag a deal.
On the weekend, the best time to check is early Saturday morning and again at 5 p.m., when the industry is most aggressively trying to fill seats, he says.
5. Buy a travel package, even if you don't need it
Travel sites are brimming with vacation packages offering cut-rate hotel stays and car rentals. But if you're the type to skip over these packages without a glance, then maybe you should give them a closer look, says Hobica.
The packages are sometimes cheaper than the airfare alone, he says, especially for last-minute sales, where the airline is just trying to fill seats. "They're super bargains," he says. "Even if you don't need the rental car, you could just not pick it up, because the airfare is so cheap."
In the drive to reduce costs, airlines will be bidding bon voyage to many of their discount flights, analysts say. Hobica believes cheap airfares will become increasingly hard to find, so enjoy them while you still can.
"It's getting worse, as all these airlines are cutting back on all these routes," he says. "The airlines are finally getting price religion."

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[southerndoc]

If you fly often, I highly recommend ExpertFlyer.com. It's expensive ($99/year), but if you fly often enough, it's worth its price. You can search to see what fare buckets are available. It will tell you if the lowest fares (L, U, and T) are available for a particular flight, what the fare basis cost is, etc. Definitely gives you chances to hold out for better pricing, or to call a travel agent if you cannot get the fare on the airline's website.

Yapta is also a good program that will automatically search airfares for particular flights you tag. As soon as it crosses your threshold for price, it will automatically email you.

 

[doctorloans]

Great tips. I'll tell you something else that has helped my wife and I, a lot.

http://www.bookingbuddy.com

It allows you to check almost ALL the big and small travel sites at the same time. In my experience, www.kayak.com and www.sidestep.com consistently have the best prices.

Check out www.fatwallet.com and search the travel forum for more tips.