14 Ways to Save as Much as $100 on Your Next Airfare

by Lori Appling

1. Shop after midnight during the week.

Most airlines post their specials right after midnight. If you shop then, you’ll have a better shot at getting the cheapest fare.

2. Check out a smaller airport.

An area’s main airports tend to be more expensive than those that are just a little out of the way. You might find a cheaper fare at White Plains than JFK or La Guardia in New York, or at Fort Lauderdale than at Miami International in Florida.

3. Book more than 21 days in advance.

By planning your trips and booking your airfare three or more weeks in advance, you will have a much better chance of getting a lower rate.

4. Fly on the less-traveled days.

Flights are generally cheaper on days that fewer people travel on. Tuesdays and Thursdays are your best bet.

5. Know how to work a bid site.

Online bidding sites like PriceLine don’t let you place multiple bids unless you change your criteria as well. Limit your criteria on your first bid — only enter one set of dates or one airport, for instance — so that you can resubmit later if you need to.

6. Comparison shop for dates.

Lots of times, it’s hard to guess which departure and return dates will give you the best deal. Look at the prices for a few different date combinations to see which is cheapest.

7. If you have to fly during the holidays, think about flying ON the holiday.

While lots of people travel on the days around a holiday, the holidays themselves aren’t generally popular traveling days . . . which can mean reduced fares.

8. Try a European airline.

When traveling between European cities, check into discount airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet. You can find some great discount rates.

9. Sign up for your favorite airline’s e-mail newsletter.

Lots of airlines offer an e-mail newsletter that can alert you to special deals before they are made generally public.

10. Keep your eye out for discounts even after you purchase a seat.

If you find a much better deal after you’ve already bought your ticket, it may be worth the cancellation fee to rebook the discounted flight.

11. Group rates can reduce fares by one-third or more.

When traveling with a large group, call the group sales agent at the airline and ask about group discounts. Groups of 20 or more often pay one-third less than single travelers.

12. Know your averages.

Keep tabs on prices quoted in newspapers and directly by the airline. This will help you recognize a deal when you see it, so that you can jump on it.

13. Find a fare-finder site that lists both published and discount fares.

Some sites list only published airfares and leave out discounted fares. Be sure to search for flights on a website that lists both.

14. Travel as a travel writer.

You don’t have to give up your day job (most travel writers I know are freelancers turning a weekend trip or a once-a-year family vacation into a little cash on the side). All you have to do is take good notes about what you did and then recommend — or discourage — others from following in your footsteps. You may even earn a few hundred . . . maybe even a few thousand . . . dollars for your trouble and find someone else to foot the bill on your travel expenses.

(Ed. Note: Lori Appling is the director of AWAI’s travel writer programs and editor of the weekly online newsletter The Write Way to Travel. She is sponsoring a trip to Argentina at the end of March for those of you interested in learning a few tricks about the carefree lifestyle of a travel writer. For more details click here.)

—

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.