1. Buy Airline Tickets Early - Especially during peak travel periods, making reservations late in the game can cost you a lot of money. Airline ticket prices typically go up 21 days, 14 days, 7 days and 3 days before flying, so if you're planning ahead, try to make the call before these deadlines. And if you're traveling internationally, you'll want to book even earlier -- from three to six months in advance -- for the best deals. However, sometimes you can get lucky if you wait, which brings us to:
2. Buy Discount Airfare Late - Often you can buy tickets at the very last minute for a great price, if the airlines have failed to fill their planes. Many airlines offer weekly newsletters that feature their best last-minute deals. You can also find many of them listed in our Travel Deals section, or at specialized sites like LastMinuteTravel.com. If you can stand the suspense, and if you are flexible with your itinerary, you can find fantastic money-savers to very attractive travel destinations.
3. Shop Around For Cheap Airline Tickets - No matter how good it sounds, you should never book the first fare you see. Start your search by checking a few of the major online travel providers, like Travelocity, aggregator sites like Kayak.com or consolidators like CheapTickets.com. This will give you a preliminary idea of which airline flies your particular itinerary, what the going rate is and what restrictions might apply. Armed with this information, you can head directly to the appropriate airline Web site to see if the same flights are any cheaper.
4. Know When to Buy - The hardest part of booking a flight is knowing when to stop tracking fares and make that final purchase. If you're flying within the U.S. or to select destinations in Canada and the Caribbean, Bing Travel can help you reach that decision, offering fare predictions for most major cities. Just plug in your itinerary and the site will advise you either to book now or to wait, depending on whether the fare is expected to rise or drop.
5. Be Flexible - If you live close to more than one airport, check out the fares from all of the airports near you. Many online fare searching engines will ask you if you are willing to depart from or arrive in more than one city. Yes! Also, experiment with different travel dates; shifting your itinerary by a week or even a few days can make a significant difference in fares. You'll usually find the best deals on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
6. Don't Forget the Discounted Airlines - As their nickname suggests, discount airlines can save you a bundle, but they're not always easy to find. Luckily for consumers, discounters are cropping up more frequently on aggregators and booking sites (Kayak now offers fares for JetBlue, Spirit and AirTran, for example) -- but there are still a few holdouts, such as Southwest and Allegiant Air, whose fares can't be found anywhere but their own Web sites. If you're traveling outside the U.S., don't forget to check the international discounter airlines as well.
7. Use Your Frequent Flier Miles - Why pay a fare at all when you can use your frequent flier miles? Although redeeming miles has gotten more difficult in recent years, it's still a good option to consider, particularly if you're booking early; airlines designate a very limited number of seats on each flight as eligible for award travel, and these seats go quickly. This is a great way to get discount airfare or cheap flights to anywhere in the world.
8. Get a Refund When Airfares Go Down - If fares go down after you've purchased your ticket, ask for a refund! You may not always get one, but policies vary by airline -- and many do not publicize the fact that they will refund you the difference if prices go down. It can't hurt to ask. Yapta.com is a site that will track flights for you after you purchase and notify you if the fares go down. Discount airfares or cheap airline tickets can be found everyday.
9. Consider an Air Pass - In order to promote tourism in their countries, many national airlines offer air passes at reduced rates for tourists. If you're planning to do extensive travel in one country or region, an air pass might be your most cost-effective option. Qantas offers the Aussie AirPass for travel throughout Australia, while Cathay Pacific has a similar product for flights throughout Asia. For more information, see our guide to air passes. Planning an even bigger trip? Look into around-the-world tickets and fares.
10. Check for Airline Deals and Airfare Discounts - Don't forget to check the internet for cheap travel deals online. Always search for the latest discount airfare sales. There's no real shortcut to finding cheap airfare. As with any purchase, you need to shop around to get the best deal by trying different booking sites, altering your dates and waiting until just the right time to purchase. But if you're willing to put in a little time and effort, you could save big on your next flight.