A war is being battled in the air, and you will be the winner.
A price war is underway between airlines, travel agents and travel websites, all offering discounted airfares. To get the best possible rate, arm yourself with a little patience and some search skills to find the site offering the best possible rate.
Begin your search to find the best discount airfare by visiting individual airline websites. Most airlines will offer discounts if you buy tickets directly from their sites. These may be the best prices, but not always. It makes sense however, to jot down these prices and make note of them before logging on to different sites.
Online websites like http://www.kayak.com or http://www.sidestep.com do a lot of the comparison work for you. These sites will search the databases of all travel sites, including accessible airline sites, and display the best fares. These websites save you the trouble of visiting each site individually and searching for best fares.
Some larger travel sites like http://www.travelocity.com have started closing their databases to these search engines, because they don't want to lose traffic or revenue to other sites. In order to access certain discounted airfares, you will need to visit major travel sites like www.expedia.ca or http://www.orbitz.com.
If you're not in a hurry to book your flight, try spending a couple of days checking airfares at random hours. Check at 8 a.m., 4 p.m. in the afternoon, or 10 p.m. in the night. You may find a flight being offered at almost 50% of the rate quoted twelve hours earlier. You need to be persistent and have great timing to get in on these deals, as they sell out very quickly.
If your dates are not final, try flexible fare searches. This tool gives you airfare quotes on different possible dates. Find the date when the fare is lowest, and book your flight.
Booking two or three weeks in advance, or traveling during the lean season can also get you a great fare. Most airlines give big discounts on last minute and off-season flights.
Finding your best discount airfare can be an easy task. Use the Internet to do the work for you, and then choose the flight that meets your needs and suits your budget. Bon Voyage!