One frequently asked question is, "when should I book my airfare to get the best deal?"

It might be easier to know when the prime lending rate will hit a low, since the Federal Reserve Board at least follows some logic.  In contrast, the airlines seem to enjoy confusing the vacationing public.

Don't forget to arrange your air travel IN ADVANCE.  If you wait until just a few weeks before your trip you might get a good deal...but you might not.  The best advice is to check with the airlines (or your travel agent) often, then lock in a good deal when it comes up.  Sometimes travel agents are given advanced information on an airlines pricing plans -- especially for highly traveled times like Summer and the Christmas holidays.  You may even be able to talk your travel agent into doing a periodic check for you.  I know of some agents that have been so well "trained" that they've even called the customer, unsolicited, when a good deal to their favorite destination has come up.

Internet services such as Travelocity.com and Priceline.com would be worth some surf time, too, as you plan your trip.  I don't have any personal experience with these companies, but I've heard positive comments about both.

If you're interested in trying to use some of the online services to find a good deal, this information shared by Jennifer Ledford (SPRSTR5366@cs.com), will be valuable:

I was just reading the section on finding a good deal on airline tickets. You mentioned Priceline.com and Travelocity.com, but not Cheaptickets.com. From personal experience, I've found better deals at Cheaptickets. For example, I just purchased round trip tickets from Seattle to Orlando at Cheaptickets. These tickets were $130 less per ticket than Travelocity. For a family of four that's big savings. Anyway, I thought I'd give you a "heads up", and maybe you can pass this info onto your fans.

MousePlanet now offers Online Booking!  Click on the link to make your own hotel, rental car, and other reservations!  You can also do a search for the best airfares!

Looking for More Information On Airfares?

The websites for the sites mentioned
on this page (in alphabetical order) are:

http://www.cheaptickets.com

http://www.priceline.com

http://www.travelocity.com

 

http://www.air-fare.com/allsav.htm