How to Find the Best Airfares for your Travels

Member

By Robert Jenkins
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating:

(13 Ratings)

Packed and ready to go

Want to find those budget airfares for traveling? Are the best deals on Expedia.com or Orbitz.com? My recommendation is that you consider the total cost of travel. Overnight layover accommodations and over limit luggage weight allowance fees should also be included in your total cost of travel. Explore your options below and learn how to travel budget wise.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Valid Passport with expiration date more than six months during your travel period
Spending Money for unexpected situations
A good camera
Comfortable clothes and walking shoes

Step 1

The easiest way to handle travel arrangements abroad is to book your whole trip through a travel agency, including airfare, and have a fixed price. You may have to take some additional funds for shopping, incidentals, and diner and lunch, but your airfare and hotel will be established. Usually breakfast is included at the hotels. This is an easy worry free way to handle the trip, but it does not always guarantee the travel value especially if you are budget conscious.
Step 2

My preference is to save money and book my own airfare on the internet. I suggest using Kayak, Best Fares, Vayama, and Priceline to find and book the lowest airfare. There are no booking fees with Priceline.
Step 3

Pack with vacuum space saver bags

Whatever internet travel site you choose to use and there are many, I suggest looking at the number of connecting flights and layover times in assessing which is your best bargain. For example; American Airlines has a direct flight from Chicago to Moscow. Traveling to Russia I can almost always get a discounted airline fare for a direct flight to Moscow. Returning my flight options almost always require a route that has connecting flights with an overnight stay in an airport.
Step 4

The point here is that you must include the cost of the overnight and meals in determining the best airfare. I can usually still do this and travel for less than a $1,000 round trip including the cost of the overnight layover.
Step 5

One trick is to select airfares that have the overnight at an airport that has an airport hotel. I mean a hotel that is actually in the airport terminal. London Heathrow and Istanbul’s Ataturk are examples of two airports that have this arrangement. You can rent the rooms by the hour and in the case of Ataturk, you don’t have to go through customs and security. Better yet, it is less stressful travel, you don’t have to worry about the cost of a taxi, and you can sleep in an extra 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 6

Traveling from west to east is more challenging than traveling east to west. First, you lose a day on long trips and jet lag is more pronounced on west to east travel. So my strategy is to get there as fast as I can. I look for discounted direct flights first and will settle for one connecting flight if no direct flights are available. My recommendation is that in selecting a connecting flight itinerary that you seek out a flight arrangement that has at least a two hour layover. This will give you a tight travel itinerary, but sufficient time in case of flight delays, delays with customs, or in the case of Russia delays in obtaining luggage and checking in with your connecting flight. See the warning on Russia below.
Step 7

Summing it up, seek out discounted direct flights when traveling west to east and lower fare connecting flights on the return trip. Take advantage of lower fare connecting flights when traveling, but if layovers are more than 4 hours, try to make flight arrangements that result in connecting flights in airports that have hotels in the airport terminals. Include the cost of overnight layovers in the price of travel when comparing airfares to get your true travel costs.
Step 8

Finally luggage weight is a factor in air travel cost. For international travel many airlines will allow two bags up to 50 lbs each free. Over the weight limit bags are typically assessed a $50 fee, but this could be more depending upon the carrier’s policy. Bags over 70 lbs are not accepted on many carriers, so smart packing is essential. I strongly advise that you check the weight limits and fees for each airline listed on your travel itinerary. See the warning below on Russia’s Siberia Airlines weight limitations.
Step 9

Pack light and avoid the over weight limit allowance fees.

Many people log onto Expedia.com or Orbitz.com and when they see the airfares to various exotic international locations decide it is too expensive. International travel can be done relatively inexpensively if you shop the airfares right. While ticket prices are ever changing and depend a lot upon the current price of fuel, there are good deals out there. During the past year I’ve witnessed the following airfare deals to international destinations. $900 round trip airfare from Chicago to Volgograd, Russia, $700 roundtrip airfare from Chicago to Casablanca, Morocco, $780 roundtrip airfare from Chicago to Istanbul, $670 roundtrip airfare from Chicago to Kiev, Ukraine, and $800 roundtrip airfare from Chicago to Cairo, Egypt.
Step 10

To get the best travel prices, book your airfare early. At least 30 days in advance is a good rule of thumb. You will find better discounted fares if you book your flight to and from your destination on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Airfares can change frequently, but usually the price changes will occur overnight on Friday. Once you’ve booked your flight, you’ve guaranteed you’re pricing and can enjoy your trip knowing a large part of your travel budget is determined. Enjoy your travels.