Planning ahead is always ideal when traveling in order to get the best deals.
However, as you know planning ahead is not always an option.
If you are pressed for time and need to find last minute airfare deals quickly, you still have a few options.
- Call your travel agent or Triple A, if you don't have one - If you are in a hurry you may want to leverage the use of a travel agent.
Travel agents book tickets each and everyday and know the online system better than you probably ever will.
They are able to quickly pull up the best available rates for the flight or flights you are interested in.
If you aren't familiar with the various travel sites, you will probably end up wasting a lot of time navigating your way around.
The travel agent is well aware of the different areas of these sites and can pull up the information needed in a short amount of time.
- Discount travel sites - You can use a discount travel website like Travelocity or Expedia.
Priceline is also a great way to quickly access ticket prices at any time of day or night.
As long as you have web access you can pull up a discount site and start searching for available tickets.
Once you have found the flight you are looking for, you can purchase it with a click of the mouse and print out you ticket.
If you are not checking bags, you can bypass the long lines at the check-in counters and head straight to your boarding gate.
- You can call the airline yourself - If you do decide on this option I suggest your first familiarize yourself with some of the insider tips of the airline industry.
These tips were written by a former disgruntled travel agent and he tells you exactly what you need to know to get the best deals on your flights.
There is no better way of getting an even footing with the travel industry when trying to negotiate airline fares, than to know the behind the scenes workings of the ticketing service.
Knowing what to say, when to say it and to who, can go a long way when trying to get the best deal.