How to Find Cheap Air Tickets

Copyright (c) 2008 John Nolan

Family holidays are a great way for the family to bond as well as escape from the stresses of daily life. However, it is becoming more and more difficult for families to afford the rising costs of air travel. It doesn’t come cheap, but there are a few ways to make great savings if you know where to look. This will give you the chance to finally make the trip you have dreamed of without breaking the bank.

Find Online Deals – The internet is now the first place that most people look when searching for a cheap flight. Airlines all have their own websites these days, but there are also sites specifically dedicated to finding you the best deals. All you need to do is type in your dates (you can be flexible), your destination and how many people are travelling. It is then possible to sort the results from the cheapest first to make the biggest savings.

Booking online will also save you money due to the fact that many airlines are cheaper online than offline. You will not have to pay travel agent fees and you will benefit from discounts only available online.

Fly On Weekdays – Most people fly on weekends when they don’t have to work or when children aren’t at school, so many airline companies put their prices up to cash in on the fact that many people have no other choice. If you do have the choice, flying midweek could save you money, as well as choosing to fly on the latest flight of the day.

Fly Off-Peak – Similar to the point above, airline companies put prices off at peak times such as when children are on a school break. If you can be flexible in your dates then try to book in advance for off-peak times. You can also try to return on Sundays to get back in time for Monday morning at school.

Return Packages – Buying return flights are often cheaper than buying separate single fares. Some airlines will bump up the prices when selling single fares so save money by finding one that offers a good return deal.

Research – This is something that not all families have time to do. However, a little research can mean huge savings. Check how flight prices change from day to day to make sure that you know where to go and when to buy your ticket. This needn’t take too much time, and will save you stress in the long run.

Different Airlines – Small airlines will often offer you great deals, and they can still be comfortable and enjoyable flights. Do not be sucked in to misleading advertising campaigns of the large companies and remember to give all airlines a try if they can end up saving you money.

These are the simplest methods by which you can hope to save money on your air travel. Plan ahead and you will be better positioned to spot the good deals when they do come up, letting you really enjoy your holiday.

John Nolan

Family Ski Trip: 5 Tips to Save You Money

My family loves to ski but the weekend ski trip has gotten extremely expensive.  Taking a day trip to go skiing can cost a family of four over $300 (lift tickets, food & equipment rental).  Here are five tips to help save you money on your next ski trip:

1) Find a local ski club in your area.  Local ski clubs often offer discounted packages on ski trips they organize.  They work with local resorts to get cheaper lift tickets and lodging.  Just do a website search for clubs in your area.  

2) Contact your county or township government office to see they offer any discounted lift tickets to local ski resorts.  Often local government offices provide discounted lift tickets as a service to their residents.

3) Pack your lunch/snacks/drinks before you go to the ski resort.  This is pretty simple, but we often forget this step.  A family of four will spend $40 to $50 on food and drink alone if they eat at the ski resort.  Why pay $8.00 for sandwich and $2.00 for a soda when you can stop at a supermarket on the way to the resort.  You’ll save money and you can bring home any food/drink that you didn’t use.

4) Ski at off peak times.  Often it is cheaper to ski during the week or during evening hours (if available). Take a day off during the week and get cheaper lift ticket prices (it’s less crowded, too).

5) Shop online to buy new skis, snowboards or gear.  Go to your local ski store to get fitted for your skis, ski boots, snowboard and gear. Then go online to shop for the best deal.  There are plenty of online ski and snowboard retailers out there.  One of my favorite websites is SkiHeart.com. They search online ski and snowboard websites for sales on skis, snowboards, ski jackets and gear. They then post all the sales and deals on their website. For example, if you were looking for a ski sale, you could go to their website and find multiple deals on ski brands and styles. This is a great website to help you to comparison shop.

I hope this article helps to save you some money.  See you on the slopes!

Frank McGoldrick
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/family-ski-trip-5-tips-to-save-you-money-748193.html


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It doesn’t matter if you are a veteran traveler or are planning your first trip on an airplane; there isn’t anyone who doesn’t want to save money on their airline tickets. This is particularly true if you’re planning a vacation to a far off land and the last thing you want to do is eat up your entire vacation budget trying to buy plane tickets.

Finding dirt cheap airline tickets takes some time and patience but it can definitely be worth the effort because we all know that traveling by plane is not that cheap. Whether you are on a budget or not here are some tips and trick you can use to find significant discounts the next time you travel by air.

1. Be flexible with your travel dates and times. Most airlines charge more for peak travel times during the week. By flying at off peak times such as mid-week and/or late evening/early morning you can find significant savings. This is also true of your destination. If you are planning a vacation try to go during the off-season. Not only will you find discounts for your destination but the airlines will also offer savings simply because they need warm bodies in their seats.

2. Book your airfare in advance. This does work to a point because if you book farther then 4 months out your chances of finding good prices are greatly limited. At the same time don’t wait until the last minute because you will be charged full price. Your best window of opportunity is between 4 months and 12 to 20 days before your known travel date.

3. Compare, compare, and compare. Don’t jump at the first deal you think you see. This is where having a little patience can come in handy. Shop around the different airlines websites, travel websites, and even travel agents to get an idea of what the going price for your destination is. This will allow you to pick the fare that best fits your budget and travel plans.

4. Look for package deals. If you are planning a vacation then see if you can find a discount package for both accommodations and airfare. This is something you can usually find through travel agents who know how to find these kinds of dirt cheap travel packages. Cruise vacations are also known to offer discount airplane tickets for their passengers, but you have to ask.

5. Call the airlines. A simple call to the airlines service representatives and asking what kinds of deals and discounts they have going is a great way to save money. In fact most airlines run discounts all the time but they do not actively advertise them.

Scoring dirt cheap airline tickets is not always easy but if you take the time to research your options and have some patience to find the deal that works best for you. Being flexible is your most powerful tool when it comes to finding cheap airfare and when you finally leave for that well deserved vacation just think how good it will feel with that extra cash in your pocket.

Andrew Bicknell
http://www.articlesbase.com/flights-articles/looking-for-cheap-airfare-learn-how-to-score-dirt-cheap-airline-tickets-721986.html


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While a wedding is a happy occasion, the expenses surrounding it never make anyone happy. By doing a little extra work your can save hundreds on your honeymoon by finding cheap airline tickets and potentially save yourself a whole lot of stress.

In addition to the decreased stress you’ll also have more money left for the actual honeymoon which could mean a better destination, upgraded rooms or more romantic dinners. It’s worth a little extra time spent now to locate some dirt cheap tickets. I know I wouldn’t mind being able to stay in the honeymoon suite of a 5 star hotel simply because I was able to save hundreds on my airfare.

These four tips will put you well on your way to locating the cheapest airline tickets available for your honeymoon.

1. Don’t travel during peak times. By traveling mid week or getting flights that leave early in the morning or late at night you avoid the peak flight times that the airlines charge the most for. Since demand for these flights is low the airlines will frequently discount them just to keep the planes full. Take advantage of these discounts. And if you travel during off peak seasons you’ll be able to save money on your resort as well as the airfare.

2. Use travel comparison sites to find the best deals on airfare. Sites like TravelZoo, BookingBuddy and Cheap Flights will save you time by searching all the major travel sites for the best possible airline ticket prices. Why go to each site yourself when you can let one of these comparison sites do the work for you.

3. Even though you’ve checked the comparison sites go ahead and call the airlines directly. The airlines will often run specials, especially for last minute flights, that they don’t advertise anywhere. All it takes is a quick call to the airline and you could save yourself serious money on your flight.

4. Consider booking a package that combines your hotel and airfare. When tourism is suffering to a destination the airlines and hotels will often partner to offer special discounts and attract more visitors. Packages can be a great deal, but don’t assume that you’re saving money just because it’s a package. Compare the price of the separate elements to make sure you’re getting a deal.

By using these four simple steps you can often find unadvertised specials and promotions that will save you hundreds on your airfare. Save your self the stress and high cost of airfare by doing your own search for cheap airline tickets. If you save money on your airfare then you’ll have more money to spend on the romantic parts of your honeymoon and you’ll both enjoy it to it’s fullest.

Steven Walters
http://www.articlesbase.com/flights-articles/finding-dirt-cheap-airline-tickets-for-your-honeymoon-508944.html


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