Finding budget-friendly airfare deals

Planning a vacation can be really fun, but once deciding on a destination next on the list is usually finding affordable airfare. While you may think that all airlines charge the same price, its simply not so. Airfare is based on many factors, including gas prices, popularity of your destination and how many routes actually fly there and how often. There are more aspects involved, but there is a way to tip the scales in your favor, no matter where you want to travel. Here are five ways to get cheaper airfare.

Fly in the fall and winter. The majority of travelers with children travel in the summer, because thats when school is out. Unfortunately, summer is when many destinations will be most crowded, hotels have higher rates and store merchandise will be full price. Airlines take advantage of your time off by raising fares and adding more fees, which they disguise with obscure names, like miscellaneous surcharges. Even though most attractions are not open as long in the winter and fall, not having to wait in line allows you to see just as much in a shorter amount of time. Then you can spend a bit more time relaxing before you start again the next day. If you dont have the luxury of traveling off-peak times, search for travel dates on Wednesday, Saturday and Tuesday, as those are the cheapest days to fly, respectively.
Check prices on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. The new rates for airfare are put out on Tuesday/Wednesday and then again on Saturday, for those that wait to book things on the weekend. Tuesday and Wednesday will almost always have the cheapest rates, but if you have some time before you have to book, get up bright and early and check prices on Saturday. Every so often you will find a super cheap rate that was put into the system incorrectly that you can snatch up before the error is caught. It doesnt happen often, but when it does its a total bargain for you.
Fly to a smaller airport near your destination city. Hub airports that the majority of travelers go through can actually cost you more for your plane ticket. Because they are so popular and convenient, airlines can charge more to fly into them. Try looking at alternate airports in the vicinity of your destination. You can often save a lot by doing it this way, and as long as you arent paying more for transportation than you saved, its worth it to check into it. Use an airline search engine like Dohop.com to find the cheapest alternate routes. "The essential to budget travel is to prepare onward. When it occurs to family trips, globetrotting, well-deserved vacations and/or going to see new spots we have never been before, the actuality of cost and budgeting is generally in the back of our minds. Organizing and expending our travel budget wisely is a concern for most families. Lowering spending and charges, while still experiencing your vacation to its fullest, is the key to guaranteed accomplishment and fiscal responsibility. Your pocketbook and family will thank you! The thinking regarding economizing money while touring is simple: Even if your personal finances is highly small, you can still take a break and enjoy life! Simply put, life is just too short to never step out of the door or departing the homestead! Also remembering that while traveling, whether on a budget or not, even the smallest of things can all add op to a big vacation or travel costs!..".
Set up airfare alerts. Although I love researching airfare and other parts of my vacation, I have a life and cant be checking the prices all day every day. Chances are you dont have that kind of time either. Set up airfare alerts on your favorite airline websites and booking engines. You can also use Yapta.com, which is great for constantly checking fares and sending you alerts when prices drop. Not only that, but once youve purchased your ticket(s), add your itinerary to your account with Yapta and they will let you know if the prices drop further and if youre eligible for a refund.
Sign up for frequent flyer awards. You can now accumulate frequent flyer miles by doing many things that arent even flying. You can gain points or miles by dining at restaurants, buying groceries, shopping online and much more. Miles can get you free flights, upgrades and discounts. Check out all your favorite airlines have to offer regarding collecting miles, like the iDine program, signing up for online reward programs that let you trade in your points for miles or even paying a small fee to turn your banks debit card into a mileage-making utility. If youre going to spend that money anyway, you might as well make it work in your favor.

There are plenty more ways to save on airfare, but these are five of the easiest to do. They dont require much extra effort and are free or almost free and also can save you the most money. Planning your vacations dont have to be stressful, so over-thinking it will work just against you. Have fun with the research and planning and even more fun when you get there!

Want more budget travel tips? Check out my blog at Shereen Travels Cheap or follow me on Facebook or Twitter.

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