Cheap Airfare

Book Early

Contrary to popular belief, the best airfares, generally, go to those who book early. Scheduled airlines allot discount seats on a "first-com, first-served" basis based on an algorithm, unfathomable to mere mortals. The premise, however, is that a percentage of the plane is divided into various price levels, with the lowest fares going first.

With charter flights, there are only so many seats available, and when they are gone, they're gone -- another reason to book as early as possible.

Book Late

The exception to the above rule is the last minute deals offered via the Internet by major air carriers for travel within a few days. These fares are generally offered mid-week for weekend travel. Only a few city pairs are offered each week and you have to be prepared to purchase your tickets right away. However, if you can be that flexible, the savings are substantial. Continental Airlines, American Airlines, United, and others all offer such fares.

Consider a Charter Flight

Charter flights are frequently available from major cities to popular vacation travel destinations, such as Las Vegas and Cancun. The planes for these flights are "chartered" by tour operators who sell the seats as their own. Everyone on the plane is going to the same destination and these flights may or may not include hotel and other tour arrangements.

Prices on charter flights are generally less than you can find on regularly scheduled flights, but charters are usually non-refundable and the schedule is limited to one or fewer flights per day.

Be Flexible

For the most part, the best airfares go to those who can be somewhat flexible with their travel plans. Alternate days, times, and even airports can change an airfare dramatically. For instance, I live in Cleveland, Ohio, but Akron's airport is just a 45-minute drive away. Depending on the city to which I'm traveling, Akron can be quite a bit cheaper – and well worth the drive.

To some destinations, mid-week – or weekend – travel may be less expensive, and many low airfares still require that you stay over a Saturday night at your destination.

Holidays and peak-travel seasons offer few discounts, but traveling in early December, for instance, instead of the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, can frequently reduce your airfare by more than half.

Use a Travel Agent for Cheap Airfare

Enlist a travel agent to help you find cheap airfare. Because she works with air travel on a daily basis, a good agent will be able to notify you when low airfares to your favorite destination become available. An agent will also have information on non-scheduled airfare, such as charters, and can compare the best options, saving you the trouble of checking dozens of websites.