Cheap Plane Tickets

Traveling to an exotic destination? Need to make a business meeting across the country? Have someone giving birth, graduating, or some other life event that you would like to fly to? When you are traveling for work, pleasure, or for some other reason, the last thing you want is plane tickets that have a big price tag. Most airlines have a set price for certain destinations and times, and sometimes those prices are hard to swallow. Wouldn't it be nice to have a discount off those high priced fares? Thankfully, there are ways to get discounts, free flights, reimbursement, and know when the destination you want to go to has the cheapest flights available. Some of these ways require a membership fee, some do not, while others are a one-time deal, and some you can take advantage of any time. Here are some ideas for finding cheap plane tickets:

• Travel discount club membership
• Web booking
• Pay online, get one time offers
• Deal of the week/month newsletter
• Sign up for alerts
• Birth or death discounts
• Find the unadvertised deals
• Use discount airlines when you can
• Look for free tickets
• Be flexible

Travel discount club membership

If you don't mind the monthly or yearly membership fee to begin with, obtaining a travel discount club membership can really pay off. Travel discount clubs offer discounts on specific airlines, car rental agencies, hotels or hotel chains, and entertainment retailers. If you like to travel with the airlines the club offers, you can get cheap plane tickets. If you don't like the airlines offered, don't join or cancel your membership and find another club.

One problem that you may run into is with the travel discount club is that you will get blackout dates and specific days or times which you cannot use the offered discounts for. These fall in peak times, when you are more likely to be vacationing, and in peak hours, when it's easier to travel. However, if your travel plans are flexible and you don't mind taking off hours flights, this is a great way to get cheap plane tickets.

Another type of travel discount club is where you purchase your plane tickets from a travel site or airline then the club reimburses you up to a specified amount based on the club terms. This usually means no blackout dates or off flight times because you are choosing when you travel, then being reimbursed for it.

When looking for a travel discount club, be sure to do your homework as there are many out there, and some take your money as a monthly membership fee and give you nothing in return. Be sure to find a club with a good reputation. Clubs with good reputations have the better discount pool anyway as airlines, dealers, and retailers like to work with a reputable company as much as you do. Membership fees with a reputable company may be a little higher, but it's worth the security of knowing you won't be ripped off.

Web booking

Many airlines offer cheap plane tickets for booking your flight online. You can get as much as 40% off your plan ticket by booking online through the airline's website rather than by phone.

Why so, you may ask? Well, for several reasons. First, you eliminate an operator booking the flight for you so the airline doesn't have to pay them for their time. Second, you eliminate human error, except your own, which often can cost an airline to fix. Last, you often have to accept terms and conditions by booking online, like a cancellation policy that is different than booking over the phone, which can also save the airline money.

Online only flight costs can be your way to a cheap plane ticket, but you still have to do your research to make sure it is the best deal you can get.

Pay online, get one-time offers

Occasionally when you are booking a flight online, you will get a one-time offer that gives you a significant discount off your purchase that day. These offers include things like signing up for a travel discount club membership, signing up for the airline's credit card or frequent flier program, or special deals of the day. The discount given is determined by the offer, and of course your acceptance of it but could be as much as fifty percent off your purchase.

Deal of the week/month newsletter

Travel agencies can be a very good resource when it comes to buying cheap airline tickets. Most travel agencies will send out a newsletter on the best deals of the week or month depending on the frequency of the newsletter. Of course, the deals are typically only offered if you book your travel plans through them. Not to worry though, there is a reason travel agencies are still in existence. Travel agents generally get the deals that would never be offered to the public and even though they tack on their fee, you still get a better deal than if you were to call the airline directly.

You can also get a great deals newsletter from the airlines directly. These deals are often unadvertised at first, so if you take advantage early you can get a great deal on plane tickets. Sign up for more than one newsletter so you can make sure you get the deals when they come up.

Sign up for alerts

Most online travel agencies like Orbitz.com have a feature that allows you to sign up for an email alert for great fares for your favorite destinations. You set up the parameters for the alerts, like when airfare for Hawaii reaches "X" amount, they send you an alert telling you. This is a great way to save endless amounts of time searching for great deals. The deals are delivered right to your inbox.

Birth or death discounts

If you have had a birth or death in the family that you are traveling specifically for you can usually get a discounted flight. The airline will need documentation in the form of a birth or death certificate then they'll give you a special rate to fly for that specific event. This can be a great way to get cheap plane tickets, unless you haven't had one of those events and are traveling specifically for it. If you have had a birth or death you are traveling for, look into the discounts for that type of travel specifically and you may be able to get a better deal than with anything else.

Find the unadvertised deals

Many airlines don't advertise their deals, or don't advertise the prices of their seating when it first goes on sale. The best way to find out what kind of deals they have is to pick up the phone and call to find out. They will generally tell you what deals they have going for cheap plane tickets and it's one of the quickest ways to find out what they have discounted that day. They'll happily fill the seats with the online or advertised price, but there may be a better deal they'd be willing to give you if you take the time to ask.

Use discount airlines when you can

Discount airlines offer cheap plane tickets everyday. These are small airlines generally so they don't go to every destination, but if they are going to where you want to go, it's hard to beat their prices. Discount airlines are airlines such as Jet Blue, Southwest, and Spirit Air. They don't go everywhere and they usually only have one class of passenger (coach), but they'll get you to where you need to go in relative comfort and for an affordable price.

Look for free tickets

There are such things as free plane tickets. Sometimes people can't make their flights and can't get a refund, but can transfer the flight to someone else. This is where you can get really cheap or even free plan tickets. There are also buddy passes, which are given to airline employees that they can give away or sell. Look in your local classifieds and see if anyone is offering buddy passes. You can get them for half the price of a normal airline ticket or less, and sometimes if you know the airline employee, they'll give it to you for free.

Be Flexible

One of the biggest keys to getting cheap airline tickets is being flexible. You can book at the last minute, fly standby, or take a red eye flight to get to your destination for less. What you sacrifice is up to you, but just remember, all airlines want to fill every seat, that's why there's over-booking issues, so when they have open seats, they are almost desperate to fill them. You just have to give them the opportunity to fill them with you.