Let's face it: airfare can make or break your budget.
Once you arrive at your destination, there are many ways to stretch your cash supply. But many people never make it to Europe or even distant parts of their own countries because airfares make the trips cost-prohibitive.
Fortunately, there are many ways to make significant cuts in the cost of flying. Not everything mentioned here will work for every traveler, so no attempt is made to rank these techniques. But you should be able to find at least two that will work wonders for your travel budget. Read all five and then pick your two favorites.
Technique #1: Scan Airline Special Offer Pages
If Priceline or Hotwire make you uncomfortable, don't stop reading or feel ashamed.
Many of us don't want to risk that much money on a sight-unseen deal.
The fact is you can take advantage of the same principle driving these auctions on Internet special offer pages.
Here too, the airlines are filling otherwise empty seats, often at the last minute.
All major airlines have these sale pages. Some call them "promotions" or "special offers." About Budget Travel links to most of the world's major deal pages.
The deals don't always make your day. Sometimes, the airlines will draw you in with "roundtrip coast-to-coast fares at $200." A few clicks later, you discover the coast-to-coast flight links Savannah to Monterrey.
The point is major routes like New York-Los Angeles are more apt to sell out than the smaller markets. But there are also empty seats on those busy routes. The trick is to find and book them as soon as possible.
Not all the deals are last-minute. Many must be booked well in advance of travel. One key example: the airlines' "Europe" and "Asia" sales. Typically, these are marketed around a season, such as "Brand X Airlines Spring Europe Fling." Here too, the airlines want to make certain they don't have any empty seats on these costly, lengthy flights. Take advantage of their concern.
Naturally, you must recognize a "good" fare for a particular route, and that takes education. Always do a conventional search before you go shopping for sales.
Next: Decide you will name your own price!
