Getting cheapest airline tickets

[ML]

5 Ways to Pay Less for Airfare

Try one tip, try them all.

    Buy tickets in the sweet spot: Shop 3 months to 1.5 months before departure for U.S. domestic flights; shop 5 months to 2 months before departure for international flights.
    Shop on Tuesdays: U.S. airlines typically launch sales on Tuesdays and by 3 p.m. eastern time, the competition has matched the new deals and shoppers have more good prices to choose from.
    Set airfare alerts: This is a boon for local and international travelers who know where they want to go but aren’t sure when to buy. Set an airfare alert and let the deals come directly to you.
    Travel cheaper days: In the U.S., the cheapest days to fly are usually Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturday. In other countries, weekdays are generally cheaper than weekends.
    Travel cheaper seasons: In the U.S., flights from September to May are often significantly cheaper than June, July and August – with January the cheapest of all – just avoid peak travel periods at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break. The guidelines are similar for Europeans but it can vary in other parts of the world. For example, if you’re in Australia or New Zealand, flights in November as well as February to April are often good deals, as opposed to the peak season prices for December and January.

For more tips, please see my Insider’s Guide to Airfare.

Author: Rick Seaney
FareCompare.com

[Goombah]

My 2 cents:

Be very careful when using sites like Expedia.  Not only do they have a reputation of telling you fares have changed in the 2 minutes since they quoted you (on a flight 3 months out at 2am in the morning), they also don't always find the best price.  For example, my MIL visits us about once a year, traveling from Omsk to Moscow to St. Louis.  Booked separately, the Omsk to Moscow trip will typically cost $300, the Moscow to St. Louis will be <$1000.  Booked together I routinely see prices like $1700-$2500.

Regarding the last minute price hikes, I highly recommend using one browser to do your shopping/planning, and another browser, with freshly cleaned cookies, to do the actual ordering.  That seems to avoid those extra $50 - $100 price hikes that Expedia and others claim is due to other people beating you to the best price.

[Darth_Budda]

Tickets from Montreal to Kiev ....     January 2016

Are as low as $480 if you want to fly through istanbul, Turkey..  I decided to avoid that area...

Through Amsterdam it was around $680... 

And if you smoke tobacco...
I would recommend Amsterdam airport... they have smoking rooms....


 

[LAman]

Through Amsterdam it was around $680... 

And if you smoke tobacco...
I would recommend Amsterdam airport... they have smoking rooms....


 

And if you want to smoke 'the other stuff', there are smoking rooms for those too!!!!

[Darth_Budda]

I wish,,, I could smoke that in the airport....

I know, I had no problem finding it in Ukraine....


Their are not Green smoking rooms at the airport....

In fact I think they changed the laws so only citizens of the netherlands can be members of the green clubs..

[alex330]

Option 6:

Signup for empty leg deals. Many times private jets will sell seats on empty legs for next to nothing to cover costs.

[ML]

Option 6:

Signup for empty leg deals. Many times private jets will sell seats on empty legs for next to nothing to cover costs.

Do you have a website URL for those?

[Wayne]

I just bought some tickets this week on Lufthansa. When I went to select seats, I found out that they charge a fee for selecting your seat before the flight. It was at least $11 on the short flight and at least $35 on the long flight, per person one way. Some seats had a fee of $100.
 
So I wonder are all the airlines charging this fee?
 
Also, I used cheapOair because the Lufthansa website wanted me to pay in UAH as the flights start in Ukraine. If you use a credit or debit card to pay, you will get extra fees and a bad exchange rate.
 
I would not want to change airplanes in Istanbul now!

[BC]

It's getting to the point that I'm having better luck calling the airline directly and asking for their best fare...
Don't always trust the websites.

[Wayne]

With the cost of gasoline at less than $2 per gallon, when it was $4 before, why did they not lower the price of tickets?
 
It seems like we keep getting worse service and more fees.
 
I had flights coming back from Ukraine to USA where I had to stay overnight in New York as part of the flights. When I went to check in for the next flight, they charged me baggage fees and said it was not an international flight anymore since I stayed overnight.

[alex330]

Do you have a website URL for those?

There are many if you look online. Some are better deals than others. To further reduce costs you can reach out tot he brokers themselves so the website does not take a cut. Here's one:

http://www.emptylegmarket.com/

Also, I used cheapOair because the Lufthansa website wanted me to pay in UAH as the flights start in Ukraine.

Cheapoair is one of the better vendors I have used. I recently switched to Skyscanner though.

With the cost of gasoline at less than $2 per gallon, when it was $4 before, why did they not lower the price of tickets?

Jet fuel is still about 5 bucks per gallon.

[Darth_Budda]

You can choose your seat on KLM... you only pay extra for nicer seats..

KLM has flights with Ukrainian air sometimes.. Both my last trip and this one i fly UA on the way out of ukraine...

Ukrainian Air has direct flights from Kiev to New York city...
Kinda interesting...

[BillyB]

With the cost of gasoline at less than $2 per gallon, when it was $4 before, why did they not lower the price of tickets?
 

 Airlines fuel hedge when buying fuel. They buy the fuel months or years before using it. Airlines are less likely to be affected by chaotic fuel cost swings. Your ticket prices will fall slowly now but if the fuel doubles next week, your tickets prices will rise slowly.

[cc3]

Jet fuel is still about 5 bucks per gallon.

http://www.iata.org/publications/economics/fuel-monitor/Pages/price-analysis.aspx

As of 8 Jan 2016, the IATA (International Air Transport Association) jet fuel regional price index...note: North American price was 118.2 cts per gallon.

[alex330]

http://www.iata.org/publications/economics/fuel-monitor/Pages/price-analysis.aspx

As of 8 Jan 2016, the IATA (International Air Transport Association) jet fuel regional price index...note: North American price was 118.2 cts per gallon.

I could be incorrect as my wife works private not commercial. But fuel at the FBO where my wife works is about $5 a gallon.

[cc3]

I could be incorrect as my wife works private not commercial. But fuel at the FBO where my wife works is about $5 a gallon.

'Aviation fuel' ('av gas', for reciprocating engines) is more expensive than jet fuel (for turbine engines). Jet fuel for small scale operators is much, much more expensive than the 'commodity' spot pricing available to airlines:

http://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=jet-fuel

[msmobyone]

Tickets from Montreal to Kiev ....     January 2016

Are as low as $480 if you want to fly through istanbul, Turkey..  I decided to avoid that area...

WHY ..I regularly use Turkish Airlines to fly via IST to Sochi - in Russia- and they have smoking areas at Istanbul, too  ..most airports do

Thanks for starting this thread...I use SKYSCANNER.NET

I start off by choosing a general starting point and flexible to my destination / dates .... often this turns up bargains to nearby airports

Then I've noted bizarre hub routing prices..I tried to book from Thailand to London and Finnair came up trumps via Helsinki ... I told an Estonian chap who was looking to fly back and the search via Helsinki came up double my price...

It was cheaper to fly onwards to London and back to Tallinn, than to fly to Helsinki and take the short hop to Tallinn with the same airline and flights ....

If someone can explain this - I'd be grateful..

Lastly, using skyscanner - be careful to choose your language and currency ...If flying FROM Russia - you will be diverted to the .ru version and RU lang.

If you aren't able to spot how to change 'lingo' - use a VPN  - be careful of the currency you might be charged in, too - any currency conversion can negate any 'bargain' ... I tried from Thailand and 'good luck' with the .th version and Thai script...










 

[BC]

WHY ..I regularly use Turkish Airlines to fly via IST to Sochi - in Russia- and they have smoking areas at Istanbul, too  ..most airports do

Thanks for starting this thread...I use SKYSCANNER.NET

I start off by choosing a general starting point and flexible to my destination / dates .... often this turns up bargains to nearby airports

Then I've noted bizarre hub routing prices..I tried to book from Thailand to London and Finnair came up trumps via Helsinki ... I told an Estonian chap who was looking to fly back and the search via Helsinki came up double my price...

It was cheaper to fly onwards to London and back to Tallinn, than to fly to Helsinki and take the short hop to Tallinn with the same airline and flights ....

If someone can explain this - I'd be grateful..

Lastly, using skyscanner - be careful to choose your language and currency ...If flying FROM Russia - you will be diverted to the .ru version and RU lang.

If you aren't able to spot how to change 'lingo' - use a VPN  - be careful of the currency you might be charged in, too - any currency conversion can negate any 'bargain' ... I tried from Thailand and 'good luck' with the .th version and Thai script...

I used Turkish on my last trip to the US via Istanbul. We spent a nice dinner/night there before catching the flight to IAD hotels were nice and not so expensive, still cam under other fares.  Turkish is quite comfortable to fly and the food is great.  You even get a small kit with amenities, eyeshades, slippers, socks, toothbrush n paste, even in economy.

Tried many websites including skyscanner, the lowest fare was booking with Turkish directly.  Use skyscanner and other sites to find best routes, their cheapest fares then try to book the same route with the airline directly.  The'll often be cheaper.

[Darth_Budda]

I was just more worried, because the USA puts you on a list if you fly to Turkey..
Because if ISIS..

[BC]

I was just more worried, because the USA puts you on a list if you fly to Turkey..
Because if ISIS..

Thats called paranoia...  hundreds of USC fly to / via Istanbul every day. I am one of them.. not every day but enough to raise eyebrows if they were really interested.  You can travel there without thinking twice, just enjoy and don't hesitate.

I lived in Germany when the Baader-Meinhof gang ran amok bombings here and there, kidnapping he or she...  While many USC's working for the military ran for the bases, my father insisted we continue to live outside the confines of the base.  He simply stated that terrorism has it's goals and 'I will not succumb to their goals and continue to live my life on my terms, not theirs'.

If you are ready to give up your freedom like BillyB and others, simply don't go.

[HoundDaddyLee]

I was just more worried, because the USA puts you on a list if you fly to Turkey..
Because if ISIS..

I have flown through Istanbul a number of times. A lovely airport and I have never been pulled aside by TSA. I travel a lot so they have plenty of opportunity to harass me if so inclined. Do not let your paranoia overpower your thinking.


HDL

[BC]

I have flown through Istanbul a number of times. A lovely airport and I have never been pulled aside by TSA. I travel a lot so they have plenty of opportunity to harass me if so inclined. Do not let your paranoia overpower your thinking.


HDL

Indeed.  If travels of USC are really monitored (which I doubt) only the final destination would be of interest.

[BillyB]

Turkish airlines is cheapest now because the increased chance for terrorism in the area, and a war next door that includes Russian but Russia won't shoot down a civilian airliner, right? BC is right. I'm giving up my freedom. Who wants it?

[Shadow]

Turkish airlines is cheapest now because the increased chance for terrorism in the area, and a war next door that includes Russian but Russia won't shoot down a civilian airliner, right? BC is right. I'm giving up my freedom. Who wants it?

As long as Turkey keeps supporting IS, Russia is its main threat.

[msmobyone]

Turkish airlines is cheapest now because the increased chance for terrorism in the area, and a war next door that includes Russian but Russia won't shoot down a civilian airliner, right? BC is right. I'm giving up my freedom. Who wants it?

 
1/ They aren't always - rarely, even -the cheapest
2/ The war 'next door' is further from Istanbul than Kyiv / Moscow are from Donbas - Turkey is a big country