One of the toughest parts of cheap air ticket shopping is simply getting started. Here are five techniques you can employ at the start to focus on the best air flight fares without spending all day on the Internet.

Once you arrive at your destination, there are many ways to stretch your cash supply. But many people never make it to Europe or even distant parts of their own countries because air tickets make the trips cost-prohibitive.

Fortunately, there are many ways to make significant cuts in the cost of flying. Not everything mentioned here will work for every traveler, so no attempt is made to rank these techniques. But you should be able to find at least two that will work wonders for your travel budget. Read all five and then pick your two favorites. Ar you travelling with a baby and need tips how to not be nervous during entire flight? Then check out our next article bringing you tips how to travel with baby on a airplane here.

If Priceline or Hotwire make you uncomfortable, don’t stop reading or feel ashamed.

Many of us don’t want to risk that much money on a sight-unseen deal.

The fact is you can take advantage of the same principle driving these auctions on Internet special offer pages.

Here too, the airlines are filling otherwise empty seats, often at the last minute.

tips for cheap air tickets

All major airlines have these sale pages. Some call them “promotions” or “special offers.” About Budget Travel links to most of the world’s major deal pages but in the end it all lead to help you to book your air tickets for low costs.

The deals don’t always make your day. Sometimes, the airlines will draw you in with “roundtrip coast-to-coast fares at $200.” A few clicks later, you discover the coast-to-coast flight links.

The point is major routes like London-New York are more apt to sell out than the smaller markets. But there are also empty seats on those busy routes. The trick is to find and book them as soon as possible.

Not all the deals for cheap air tickets are last-minute. Many must be booked well in advance of travel. One key example: the airlines’ “Europe” and “Asia” sales. Typically, these are marketed around a season, such as “Brand X Airlines Spring Europe Fling.” Here too, the airlines want to make certain they don’t have any empty seats on these costly, lengthy flights. Take advantage of their concern to book cheap air tickets you deserve.

Naturally, you must recognize a “good” fare for a particular route, and that takes education. Always do a conventional sebefore you go shopping for sales and finding real cheap air tickets to particular destination

3. Don’t Miss the Details

Should you book your flight to Moscow through Germany or Iceland? It would help to know what each country charges in taxes. Why is my sale fare 30% higher when I get to the Internet check-out? It pays to examine airfares with a careful eye. You’ll be surprised how small fees and taxes can amount to big add-ons.

4. Start with a Realistic “Base Price”

Would you like to know how much someone paid earlier today for the route you are searching right now? How about the best price in the past week? Getting an idea of the going base price for a given ticket will help you sort out bargains and bloated fares. There are Internet tools designed to help you with this important task.

5. Take a Long Look at Budget Carriers and consider open jaw flights

Budget carriers do business in a way you might not like. They sometimes charge more for heavy baggage or an inflight snack. On occasion, they use remote, small airports. But if you can put up with the quirks, you can find real savings. Look at easyJet and others like it to see if this option.

Check out also what things the airlines will not tell you but you should know.

6. Manage Flier Miles to Full Advantage

Would it surprise you to know that airlines value frequent flier miles as much or more than you do? Frequent flier programs encourage brand loyalty. But beyond that, airlines also love these programs because many travelers squander their free travel options. You must find ways to monitor your stash of mileage, and you must know when spending cash for a ticket might be more advantageous than forking over flier miles.