Tips for Finding Low Airfare

Travelers hoping to score a low airfare for travels this fall and winter need to be more resourceful than ever. Coupled with reduced seat capacity, less flight options and the impact fuel prices have had on the airlines, a “cheap” ticket can be hard to find. But, it is not impossible.

It is easy to become very confused with the different airline ticket Web sites available and can leave a consumer wondering if a good deal was truly found. Orbitz has launched a campaign this summer trying to alleviate any worries about varying ticket prices for the same flight. The site claims that if another ticket is purchased for the same flight for a lesser cost, the difference will be refunded to the original purchaser. This does provide an element of confidence.

Two comparison Web sites reviewed that provide comprehensive searches resulting in the lowest airfare available are Kayak.com and Sidestep.com. In fact, according to Kayak.com Spokesperson Kellie Pelletier, the two companies merged in December 2007. “Both Kayak.com and Sidestep.com remain their own Web site,” she says. “We’re going to focus all of our expansion efforts on the Kayak.com brand.”

One benefit of these two travel sites is that they pull their fare searches from similar sites including Priceline.com and Vayama.com and even low cost airlines such as JetBlue and Southwest. As the search results are displayed, Kayak.com shows the available flights with associated costs and which site to purchase it from for the different prices.

So for those looking for a one-stop comparison, price-research experience which travelers can have purchasing confidence in, visit either Kayak.com or Sidestep.com. However, once a ticket is selected, the actual purchase takes place through identified airline partner.

For those who have flexibility in their travel plans, another site that helps determine when is the best time to travel to a specific destination and for the lowest price, consider using Farecompare.com. However, this site results in every ticket partner site opening in separate windows, so the user experience is cluttered and requires patience and time.

There is also Farecast.com which predicts ticket prices seven days out, which can be helpful for last-minute travel plans. Yet, as with Farecompare.com, multiple windows are opened and the experience is not as streamlined as with Kayak.com or Sidestep.com.

Another tip to obtaining low airfare is to register with airlines for their email sale announcements. Spirit Airlines continually offers price promotions for as little as .1 cent (plus taxes and fees) or a dollar amount off. These deals are real. In fact, I have scored a non-stop roundtrip ticket from Atlantic City, New Jersey to Ft. Myers, Florida for as little as $65 and last summer the three of us escaped to Nassau, Bahamas from Ft. Lauderdale for $220 (yes, for all three travelers).

Travel specialist Bill Thomas of Tropical Latitudes Travel advises to not wait when you find a ticket with an attractive price. “I have had clients discover a great deal only to wait even a few hours to find the seats and price no longer available. Particularly if you are traveling over the holidays or other known busy times, purchase ahead to avoid any last minute headaches or finding that there are no more available flights,” he says.