... Finding the Cheapest Airline Fares ...
by infocostarica.com staff

Planning a trip? Looking for ways to cut down on airline expenses? One of the best ways to find cheap airfares is to look online. With all of the convenience and speed the Internet provides, online travel booking is the fastest and easiest way to secure a low air fare.
Until relatively recently, purchasing an airline ticket invariably involved going through a middleman – usually a travel agent. The mass introduction of the Internet in the mid-90’s, however, ultimately leveled the playing field. Information that was once the sole domain of travel agents and ticket consolidators became available to anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. This, in conjunction with the airline’s decision to slash travel agent commissions (which in turn prompted agents to pass the costs on to customers),
has spurred the growth of internet sites dedicated to search for the lowest available air fares.

With mountains of information to sift through, finding cheap airline tickets isn't always easy. You need to know where to look and what you are looking for. Flexibility is the key to obtaining cheaper fares. The more flexible you are the more options you’ll have.

Most major airlines feed their available seats and prices into four central reservation systems that are owned by various airlines. The systems are Apollo, Sabre, WorldSpan and Galileo. Airlines then change their prices based on demand. If a certain flight is selling well, the price will increase. If another flight has no takers, the fare will drop until the airline gets some. As a result, fares and inventory are changing every minute. Since the four are updated at different times throughout the day, you'll sometimes find better fares on one site over another. Demand also explains why it is almost always cheaper to fly on a weekend or at odd hours.

Tips

Take a look at the following tips to maximize your chances of hooking the ultimate basement bargain airline fare:
Fly on a weekday.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday are typically the cheapest days to fly. Fares are usually higher on Monday and Friday than on other days of the week. Saturday flights occasionally have discount fares, but as a rule it's more expensive to fly on a weekend than a weekday.

Saturday night fever.

Most low fares require that you stay over at least one Saturday night before your return flight. Staying overnight on a Saturday can save you money because usually you'll be charged an excursion rate, not a business rate.
Use the same airline for both directions.

Stay with the same airline during your entire trip to receive round-trip or connecting fare discounts. It's almost always less expensive to use only one airline for a trip instead of two.

The early bird gets the flight.

Book early. You can purchase advance-ticket discounts by reserving 21 days ahead. Airlines sell only a limited number of seats at the lowest fares. When those seats sell out, the price goes up.
Sooner or later. . .

Try an earlier or later flight if you can't find the fare you want; or, if possible, consider flying on another day.
Save up those Frequent-flyer miles.

It's never been easier to store up your miles with one or more airlines - and you don't even have to fly. By applying for an airline-affiliated long-distance phone plan or credit card, and by being scrupulous about paying that card off in full each month, you can accumulate miles quickly and score free flights or upgrades.
Wait till the last minute.

If you can handle the potential stress, consider booking your flight at the last minute. You stand a very good chance of tapping into airlines' "distressed" inventory -- vacant seats that are made available at discount prices in the hopes of filling them.

Know when to look.

The best time to start hunting for deals is at about 1 a.m. on Wednesdays, because many airlines begin posting their latest bargains at midnight on Tuesdays.

Try to avoid the peak hours.

Always remember 7-7 rule - try the flights departing either before 7 AM or after 7 PM. That way you will increase your chances of finding cheap airline tickets. You will also avoid overcrowding and may get more space for yourself and your luggage.

Try a different airport.

You may be able to get a more favorable deal simply by choosing a different airport, say in a nearby city. In general, the smaller the airport, the higher the fares.

Package deals.

Ask the airline if it offers travel packages to save money in other areas. For instance, is a rental car or hotel room available at a discount along with the airline ticket?

Standby please.

Inquire about standby fares if you're flying off-season. High season is a bad time to fly standby because most airlines overbook flights, making it difficult to find a spare seat.

Just in case.

Call to confirm with all airlines just to be sure that the information on the ticket you’re purchased is correct. You can never be too careful.

Internet Sites

The following is a list of internet sites dedicated to finding their customers the cheapest available airfares. Each differs in the services and features they offer so it’s a good idea to shop around.

Travelocity.com
Travelocity.com is one of the more popular travel web services in cyberspace, offering a full range of travel assistance and reservation-making features. You can reserve a hotel, rent a car, book a flight, plan a cruise, and/or check on a special vacation. Flexible search criteria allow you to view and compare more fares.

Expedia.com
This on-line travel service offers quick flight searches, competitive pricing, and several other services to assist the traveler in finding the best deals. Searches are only available for flights within the United States. Flexible search criteria make it easier to find the lowest prices.

Priceline.com
Use Priceline to purchase airfare, get information and locations for cheap airfare, and make online reservations for discount airfare. You must purchase the flight before you can view the search results.

Orbitz.com
Fast, lots of options, easy to use. Unique display makes search results easy to read. Allows user to pick the exact seat on the plane and to specify special meals.

Cheaptickets.com
This site has fewer frills than some others but the fares are dirt cheap. Definitely worth checking out if you’re flexible about travel arrangements and on a budget. Searches published and unpublished fares. Provides a good variety of airlines to choose from.

Lowestfare.com
This is another no-frills site. This site does not require you to register in order to browse fares. Low prices on both airfare and lodging; searches are quick.

Biztravel.com
This site caters to business travelers. In addition to keeping track of all your frequent flyer miles, Biztravel.com provides you with directions and information about your destination city. It even features a currency converter and information about the foreign entry requirements for different countries. Automatic alerts to better deals; cash- back guarantees.

Air-Tech.com and Airhitch.com fly people cheaply around the globe by cutting a deal with airlines that can’t fill all their seats. Both organizations agree to provide passengers at the very last minute for an often deeply-discounted price.

Armed with the above information, some patience and maybe a little luck, you should have no trouble finding a dream-fare to your favorite destination. Bon voyage!