cheap air fare

:help: i am planning a trip out of the country ...and i would like to know how i can save some money on air fare ...i am sure that with all the brilliant minds here at cpf...that someone knows a secret ....thanks....

www.orbitz.com is cheap... but most of all simple and easy to use... also the reminders are greeat. Nothing comes close to it.

We get the cheapest international fares from travelocity.com, time and time again. However, it pays off to get quotes from all the on-line sites, including the airlines websites. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try priceline.com - but you may get stuck with a weird route

There are the usual options of flying standby and off-season and such...

And, there is flying as an air-courier. Basically, you fly with only what you can carry on-board. Your "luggage" is checked in and picked up under your name (you may not even see your "luggage").

Never have done this myself--but it did seem like you could really save some big bucks if you are able to travel light and follow their schedules.

Normally, it is for one ticket only and if you have somebody else that you want to travel with--generally, they will have to fly a few days earlier (or later).

You have to be, at least, 18 (sometimes 21) to fly under these tickets.

-Bill

I thought those were only open to family members, etc.

If you are a employee of an airline or travel agency (IATA List???), you could travel on a space available basis for, in some cases, as little as just paying the taxes on the ticket (family members too)... I don't remember all of the details from when my wife was studying to be a travel agent (we flew on one of these tickets 15+ years ago on a tour of South America).

The Air-Courier type ticket is for anyone. Companies like UPS and others want their items shipped quickly and avoid customs delays by sending packages as passenger luggage--hence the need for any warm body to fill a seat. From what I understand, both domestic and international destinations (one way and round trip) are available.

Here is a couple of links for Air Courier organizations/ticket brokers (I don't know anything at all about these companies--just linked for reference information):

Google Air Courier seach

-Bill

Airfare to some places (US to US) is cheap right now. Really Cheap! I am going from Houston to Phoenix and Back again at the beginning of March for less than $175. All for a Dream Theater concert at that! If airfare were more, I would not have done it. I know of someone that went HOU to El Paso and back for $36. Yes, Thirty Six Dollars. Went for the day and some food and came back. Shop around. I got mine straight from Continental as it was the cheapest actually. Orbitz and others wanted the Continental price plus some for themselves...

-Cameron

Be careful when you use some of those online price searchers. Sometimes I use expedia.com or something similar, never had any problems. Recently I booked a flight and had to change it. I found out that if I changed my flight, I would be charged $100. I was told that if I canceled my flight, there would be no charge and no refund, only credit. So of course I picked to cancel the flight. THEN there's the catch. After you are receive the credit in a few weeks, you have one year to use it from the date of purchase. However, when you use the credit, you will be charged $100! They explained this to me as a "processing charge" that would be due to the earlier cancelation. I contacted both expedia.com and the airline and was told the same. Expedia.com actually will charge you an additional $30 to change your flight, but nothing (besides the $100) to cancel. If you do try to change the flight online, they waive the $30 fee. However when you attempt to actually do it online, it sends you to a page to contact them by phone. Funny thing was my flight cost $129.