How to Find the Best Air Fare

One of the benefits of being a Flight Attendant is the availability of free or reduced-rate travel.  The disadvantage of this perk is that the travel is always standby, which means I have to rely on there being an otherwise empty seat on the plane. 

There are times when flying standby isn’t a problem.  With the right attitude, it can even be an adventure.  But when I really have to be somewhere on a schedule, I do just what everyone else does — I go looking for a bargain.

I do most of my research online, first checking out the various airline websites.  These sites have been continually improving over the years, and have become fairly reliable on finding the lowest fare.  Some even offer a lowest fare guarantee.

Next, I check the major travel sites:  Expedia, Orbitz, Hotwire, Cheap Tickets, and Travelocity.  Fares on these sites seem to be fairly consistent with one another, and don’t usually turn up any surprises.

Lastly, I check a few of the lesser known, but still efficients sites:  Side Step (compares the fares from several different airlines), Which Budget (a listing of the budget airlines that fly between various cities), and Fare Compare.

Another way to look for a better fare price is to consider a different routing.  If your plans involve making a connection, sometimes you can find a better fare simply by routing through a different city.  Try pricing out a couple different options and see what you can come up with.  If you are talking with a reservation agent, ask them if there is a better fare if you route through a different city.

Most of the times when you deal directly with the airlines, the agents automatically quote the lowest fare.  However, it never hurts to ask:  Is this the best fare available, or is there something lower out there? 

These sites and techniques have always worked well for me, and I have never felt like I’ve overpaid or missed out on a good deal.