You’d think that with as many trips as I’ve taken, I’d have some secret formula to getting discount airline tickets to any destination in the world. Oh, how I wish that were true! Instead, all the deals I find are due more to hard work and perseverance than any inside information. But on the bright side, that means anyone can take advantage of these tips to secure discount airline tickets for their next vacation.

The first thing I do is hit all the usual travel websites to see what kinds of deals are currently available. Travelocity and Expedia are musts, and Priceline is an occasional option as well. To be honest, though, I have never found any earth-shattering deals from these places. Yes, they do offer discount airline tickets, but we’re talking maybe 5 to 10 percent off. If you’re expecting to get bigger discounts than that, you’re going to have to do more digging.

My second stop is usually various online travel agencies. Sometimes these places have package deals that include not only discount airline tickets, but also accommodations and a rental car (if desired). Travel agencies are often able to provide better discounts than the websites I mentioned, especially if the prices are based on a certain number of travelers. So on the one hand, you won’t be able to take your holiday unless all the packages sell out; but on the other, you’ll enjoy significant savings if things work out.

And finally, don’t forget to check in with the airlines themselves. Sometimes the best way to get discount airline tickets is to book them directly. Many airlines release seats at different prices on different days of the week, so if you decide to go this route, it would be a good idea to check several times over the course of a few days prior to making reservations.

I’m not an expert traveler or anything like that, so I’m not saying that these methods are the very best ways to save on airfare. But I always manage to find discount airline tickets online using these simple techniques, so I’ll continue doing things this way. I can’t wait to score cheap seats for my next exotic vacation!

Departure day

It is a rule of thumb that Friday or Saturday night last minute air tickets are more expensive than for other flights. Thursdays and Saturday mornings, on the other hand, are usually cheaper. It is also common that the airlines set aside tickets for Tuesdays and Wednesdays to sell cheap. These are the days you want to buy last minute air tickets. However, a strategy like this does require that your travel plans are flexible.

Offline strategies

A different strategy that was very popular before the rise of the Internet is to show up at the airport at the last minute. This has of course become less effective, as most tickets are sold online, and you also have to deal with the extra intrusive security checks when purchasing this late. There are also the unpublicized, off-line, discounts that you can find if you dig deep. Try calling the airline directly just before a domestic flight and see if you can get a bargain.

Travel sites

Some airlines dump last minute bulk tickets on the travel sites, like Expedia and Orbitz. Checking these sites a few hours before a flight can result in unexpected bargains. You can also search the net for coupons or campaigns these sites are running, and possibly shave a few percentages off the price of your last minute air ticket. However, with the low margins these sites have on flight tickets, coupons are rare.

Overestimating demand around holidays

When traveling around holidays or major public events near your destination, sometimes the airlines put up extra capacity. In some instances they overestimate and dump prices, and you can save a killing on a last minute ticket.

Deregulated domestically, regulated internationally

All commercial flights, operated for domestic flight travel, within the US work on a deregulated price system. What does this mean for you? That they change prices in response to market demand, often day to day or hour to hour. Foreign route flights on the other hand are price-regulated by IATA, which is a quasi-cartel that effects flight prices and keeps them high. For a discount on these tickets there is no point in approaching the airline. Last minute air tickets can, however, be found through travel agents and bucket shops. Don’t bother checking the travel sites, and they simply show IATA prices.

Choose 2 of 3: Fast, cheap, comfortable

Traveling cheap can often mean giving something else up. A golden rule is that when you have something done, you can only get two of these three things at the same time: fast, cheap, or well. This applies to plane tickets as well. If you want it cheap and fast, you will probably have to sacrifice comfort. Traveling comfortably and fast, you give up cheap. So to get the cheapest plane tickets you probably have to sacrifice comfort or effective travel time.

Alternative airports

You might have to compromise on the airport location to get the cheapest plane tickets. As an example, if you are traveling to Barcelona, the International airport is a lot more expensive to land at then an airport like Girona, located 1 hour outside the city. Lower landing fees for the airline usually means cheaper plane tickets for you. Researching the possibilities and making compromises can get you to a destination much cheaper.

Trip timing

The timing of your trip can also influence the cost of your ticket. Some times planning months, and even up to a year in advance can be the best way to find cheap plane tickets. Other times last minute deals can be the way to go. These tickets might go very quickly, and might not even be available in busy travel seasons and/or popular destinations. The airlines can also have different pricing schemes, so it pays to a little research. Some lower and raise their prices at different schedules before the departure time, depending on demand and other factors.

Departure/return days

A great tip is to check out prices for Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday departure and return days, as these are the least popular days to travel. A large percentage of air travelers are business commuters, and they normally fly home on Fridays, and fly to on Mondays or Sundays. If you can be flexible on your dates, you can find some very cheap airplane tickets.

Find your own tricks

It can take a good amount of effort to find the cheapest plane tickets, but it can really pay off. With time, and if you travel a lot, finding the cheap airplane tickets will feel second nature, as the techniques and places to look will become familiar, and you will probably figure out some smart moves of your own.

Be sure to post a tip here if you find trick that can help people save on their plane tickets!

If you have ever visited an airline’s home page or given them a call, you know that cheap one way tickets are not available through normal booking, at least not directly from the airline itself.

Check out these money-saving ways to get Cheap One Way Flights!

I once had to take a trip to New York, and needed to leave in a hurry. The trip was to continue to Europe for a longer stay, and I therefore only needed a one way flight. To my shock the price I was quoted by the airline was only a few dollars short of the cost of a two-way ticket. What?? Investigating further on the Internet I could see that in some instances one way tickets can be MORE expensive then a round trip. Well, I ended up buying a round trip ticket and literally giving away the return ticket for a bargain price. So, I have learned the hard way!

Flight price bidding

This happened a few years ago and since then things have changed. It is pretty easy to find cheap one way tickets now. The major travel web sites show case cheap one way tickets. Try to google it and you will get millions of results. Another way to find that cheap one way ticket is through flight price bidding, through a site like priceline.com. You might get lucky, but this type of search can also be very time consuming. However, if you’re not in a hurry it can be a great way to travel cheap.

Travel sites

A method I normally use is to comparison shop on flight prices. Surprisingly, prices vary widely between travel sites, and sometimes one is cheaper on one destination, but more expensive on another. Some have better deals with certain airlines then others and can mark down prices accordingly.

Newspaper ads

Through a newspaper or destination city paper classifieds, a private party seller can be anxious to find a last minute buyer. These are great places to look, and with a flexible schedule you can save a ton with these resources.

Craigslist

Craigslist is a great place to look for cheap one way tickets. You might experience that these tickets go fast, as ads on craigslist get international exposure. Try to check your departure and destination cities a couple of times a day. The short time you invest in this might just help find you a bargain.

Student discout travel sites

Some web sites have specialized in cheap one way flight tickets for students. There are some great deals to be found, so students should definitely have a look at these sites.

Read the fine print

With a little knowledge about where to look, and having some patience, you will find the cheapest one way tickets possible. As always, read the fine print and verify that the ticket is indeed transferable to another part before clicking the buy button. Now, have a great trip!