More Airfare Bargain Tips

Travelers often can get a better deal with a vacation package instead of purchasing air and hotel separately. Airlines and hotels are often more willing to provide deeper discounts when airfares are packaged together. That way, their competitors can't determine how much they are reducing rates. Orbitz estimates that you can save as much as $228 by booking a five-night package instead of purchasing the components separately. Also, look for flights at alternative airports. Depending on the distance from your home or destination, check pricing at smaller regional airports. For example, it can be cheaper to fly to Midway Airport (outside Chicago) than O'Hare. Or consider adjusting your travel dates by a day or two. Travelocity, Zuji.com and other sites offer flexible date searches that show the lowest airfare for your route as long as four months in advance. To evaluate prices, Kayak.com offers a trend chart that shows whether prices for a particular flight have been going up or down. Farecompare.com displays the lowest published fare over the next 11 monthsto more than 200,000 destinations. Another site, Farecast.com, predicts whether prices will go up or down in the next week. Finally, if you see a good deal on an airfare, don't hesitate. Buy it now. Even another 30 minutes of checking other Web sites for a better deal can cost you.