When it comes to traveling for any reason, is your goal to get the best deal possible? Do you just wish you can book cheap flights, no matter where you want to go? The first thing you need to do is find a good, reliable travel search site. There are search engines designed specifically for finding airfare. You can search for flights on specific dates and view all of the available seats on the departure and return dates that you enter.

While being flexible is ideal, you still might be able to find affordable deals on specific dates. Just make sure that the site you are using is actually showing results for every single airline, including the major airlines and the smaller, budget ones like Frontier and Allegiant. Some of the discount travel websites only have some of the major airlines in their network.

On what day will the demand for a particular flight be low? What time of day? With some routes, you can save money by flying in the morning, with others, evening flights are lower. If you can’t be flexible with the dates, then at least try to be flexible with the time of day. Consider flying to another airport as well. Even if it takes a bit longer to get to the hotel, the price reduction could still be worthwhile.

Comparing in Order to Book Cheap Flights

When using a comparison site, always look at more than just the rate. There might be some hidden fees. Even if it sounds cliché, take the time to read the terms and conditions. Will you be able to bring at least one carry-on item for free? How much will it cost to check additional bags? Will beverages cost extra? On some small budget airliners, even water isn’t free. If it’s a short flight, this might not be a big deal. Also, read about cancellation fees. Is there some type of guarantee that you’ll get a refund should you have to cancel? What if the airline itself cancels or delays the flight?

If your departure date is coming up and you’ve yet to book, it might be worth checking out the social media sites of your favorite travel site and the airlines themselves, as they often post last-minute deals on not only flights but hotels as well. The top travel search sites have their own apps, which you will also want to check out. Regularly looking at the websites themselves, social media pages, and apps is the best approach to finding the cheapest airfare.

Thousands of other people are looking at the very same offers to help them book cheap flights, so the deals aren’t available for ever. If you see an offer you like, snatch it up while you can.

So, which travel search site should you use? Expedia is pretty popular – especially its Plus program. There are always opportunities to book cheap flights and hotel rooms. Consider looking into the vacation packages as well, as there are often Expedia promo codes available.