Money-Saving Tips: How to Save Money on Airfare

As with all discounts, saving money on airfare doesn't usually just happen without knowing the how, and where of cheap airline travel. To hedge against increases in airfare as measured by statistics such as those at the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Air Travel Price Index (1), finding ways to save money on airfare becomes more important. There are many ways to save money on airfare, and one doesn't always have to enroll in a travel rewards program to achieve discounted, or cheap travel. The following tips may prove helpful in informing travelers of their money saving options.

• Discount Vouchers

Sometimes, individuals can obtain discount vouchers from airlines. Airlines themselves give these out for lost baggage, delayed flights or as a promotion. It might be advantageous to ask about these at the airline desk, a travel agent office or to an airline manager. Many major airlines offer rewards programs to frequent travelers. Picking one airline and sticking with it can lead to a free domestic flight after about 30,000 miles of air travel. These miles may be added to through airline credit cards such as the Bank of America U.S. Airways credit card and other rewards programs.

• Vacation Destinations

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation maintains statistics that track travel fares nationwide and provides updates on the top highest and lowest places to ravel too. What this illustrates is that travel destinations does have an impact on price. Alternate vacation plans or travel arrangements may avoid these higher priced travel destinations.

• Travel Scheduling

The time of year one travels can have a significant impact on the cost of airfare. Traveling during holidays and peak travel months usually translates into more expensive fairs. By traveling during off peak times of year and off peak hours, airfares are more likely to be cheaper than at other times. Sometimes, booking a flight well in advance can lead to cheaper flights as well.

• Discount Vendors

Using a travel agent can increase the cost of airfare. While it may be necessary to use a travel agent for complicated international travel itineraries, there may be more feasible ways to go such as planning the trip oneself or consulting multiple travel agents for the lowest price.

• Online Purchasing

Using the internet can avoid certain fees via electronic ticketing and comparison shopping. Well known online travel vendors include www.travelocity.com and www.expedia.com among others. These websites allow one to browse through different companies, times and travel methods for better pricing.

• Alternate Transportation

Depending on where one lives, one may have the option to use a train, automobile or boat to reach one's destination. Assessing travel needs, budget and expectations in tandem with alternate forms of transportation can yield lower costs. Carpooling, or multiple drivers can turn an otherwise lengthy and expensive gas bill into an affordable and potentially pleasant trip if the vehicle is large and comfortable and one's travel companions are amenable to the idea.

• Smaller and Budget Airlines

Sometimes smaller and budget airlines may offer cheaper prices in exchange for travel on a smaller plane, less known aircraft company or coach class flight without amenities. There are several of such airlines the most well known of which in the U.S. is Southwest airlines. In Europe several budget airlines also exist and can be found at the following website http://www.euroflights.info.

• Airline Travel Alerts

Several airlines also offer discount travel alerts via their websites. By registering for the email alerts one can receive information on discounted flights offered by the airlines about once a week. This may lead to a later or last minute purchase, but if one is comfortable with less planning time, this can be a cost effective way to travel if the airline is cooperative.

Achieving a cheap airfare is more difficult to do at premium flight times and months, but utilizing the above methods in addition to putting oneself on standby lists can often lead to cheaper travel. Sometimes traveling cheaper may involve a small sacrifice in comfort such as two stops, driving, or last minute purchase, but other times it may not as is the case with advanced booking, discount travel and rewards programs. By considering the information in this article the future air traveler can be better informed of the options available for saving money on air transportation.

Sources:

1) http://bit.ly/dCtxoo (Bureau of Transportation Statistics)