How do you get great deals on airfare? Is the secret in the company you shop with? Not likely. It seems that no matter whose site you search through, the differences in flight costs don’t vary more than a few dollars, if they are different at all. What about timing? It certainly does matter when you buy your tickets, but you can’t make good enough predictions to rely on more than luck. Some airlines will, however, refund the difference of a ticket you bought earlier and the current, cheaper ticket price. The refund will be in airline vouchers though, so it’s not quite the same. To time the tickets you have to guess the expected turnout for tickets and the actual number of tickets that will be bought. If a flight is not selling well, then it will go on sale. Again, you can’t plan on that. Is there any aspect of flying and choosing the cheap flights that you can work with?

The easiest way to get cheap flights is to be flexible and to buy on the dates that are available on sale. One way to get really discounted fares is to buy at the last minute. Airlines always want to fill their planes, so when they haven’t filled up just before the time of departure, the ticket price will bottom out. What can you expect from these bargain tickets?

The one thing you should not count on is a straight shot. You will almost never find a non-stop flight at the last minute at a bargain. People are usually looking for non-stop flights. The people that don’t care about price will buy those tickets for sure. The people that have tight schedules are also going to want a non-stop flight to avoid the risk of delays and long layovers. If you want to go from Seattle to New York, and you need a great deal, try shopping last minute. Again though, don’t count on a straight shot. Expect to spend quite a bit of the day traveling, as stops generally mean layovers. The exchange though is that you can also expect a good deal. You really only need to decide if you would rather spend your time making money to buy the more expensive ticket or spend your time traveling through a new city.

Your best chance to find discounted or budget airline tickets is to choose departure and arrival cities that are hubs. If the airlines are going through those cities several times a day, you have several chances of finding a flight that is not booked and is therefore filling up for cheap. If you do need to get somewhere reliably and in a reasonable amount of time, you probably should not wait for last minute deals. You also should probably not expect to find budget rates to begin with on non-stop flights. The airlines can count on selling out on these, so you might as well plan on paying regular rates for them. If you are flexible in your timing though, try waiting for flights at bargain rates. You don’t even always have to wait until the last minute to find great deals as long as you’re willing to make a little detour and stop along the way. Expect long layovers on discounted flights. Expect them, but don’t hate them. Layovers allow you to experience another place for a little while. Airports are more and more stocked with things to do and see. You will probably be able to eat at a good restaurant, find a new book to read, or better yet, learn about the place you’ve stopped. You might even add a little more fun to your trip by taking the ‘scenic route’.

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