Just because the economy is in the toilet doesn’t mean vacations should be canceled. Travelers just need to be a bit more careful about spending the cash they have and that starts with finding the best airfare from a dizzying array of prices. A recent search for a flight from Seattle to Los Angeles for March 18 to 20, 2011 for a family of four showed a range of prices from $244 to $376 per person. So how does the average traveler find the best price? It all comes down to shopping.
Need Cheap Airfare? Try a Travel Agent
With the introduction of do-it-yourself web searches the travel agent industry has fallen out of vogue. However, a good travel agent can still find killer deals, especially for complicated flights or to overseas destinations. By booking tickets through wholesalers or group packagers, travel agents can often provide rates significantly cheaper that those found online. Plus, travel agents may be able to create a destination package that includes a lower cost airfare when combined with a hotel and car.
Use a Membership Program for Airline Deals
Another way to enlist help in planning is to use a membership program. Many credit card companies offer concierge service to cardholders, providing travel agents to help find cheap flights. Those with memberships in organizations like AAA or AARP, or even wholesale stores like Costco and Sam’s Club may find discount coupons for low-cost airfare through the service department. And, of course, membership in an airline’s frequent flyer program could lead to deep discounts. Be careful when calling an airline because some charge an additional fee for talking to a reservations clerk. Instead, call the frequent flyer program department directly to check on fares.
Finding Cheap Airfare Online.
For those who like to do it on their own, there are several sites dedicated to comparing airline deals. Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz allow travelers to compare rates by airline, destination and date. Vacationers with a flexible schedule can even input a variety of dates and the sites will compare which has the best rate.
All three of these sites are easy to use and offer package deals which can include a lower airfare rate. Kayak also offers a comparison program to check rates on a variety (how many) sites. However, each site opens it its own window, which can clutter the computer screen and be a bit overwhelming for a novice searcher.
One thing to be aware of: Some airlines only contract with certain search engines, and some not at all. For example, Southwest Airlines does not use any other sites to promote its flights and American Airlines recently broke with Expedia, Hotwire and Orbitz. This means that to ensure the best price, searchers must check a variety of websites, including each individual airline.
Finding cheap airfare can be like playing a slot machine. Pull the handle and watch the tumblers roll. Sometimes it comes up with two cherries and an orange, but sometimes it comes up all sevens. It’s the same thing for finding cheap airfare. Those who don’t like to gamble should use a professional travel agent. But for those who want the thrill of the search, keep playing the slots until they come up with a low fare jackpot.
Kelly Sharp - Kelly Sharp holds a Master's degree in Education and a Bachelor's degree in Communication, and has been involved in training in a variety ...
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