Airline Credit Cards

Jessica Hupp

These days, travel is expensive, and costs are rising fast enough to make your head spin. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dream vacation-you just have to get smarter. Enlist the help of these tools and resources, and you’re sure to score a flight at a reasonable cost.

Tools

Put these tools to work to stay on top of fare deals, predictions and more.

1. FareChase Alert: Use this widget to stay on top of the latest deals for your favorite cities.
2. Trip Watcher: Use Hotwire’s tool to get constant consideration of travel choices.
3. ITA Trip Planner: Try this site’s planner to get great information on cheap flights.
4. Fare Aware: With this tool, you can find out average prices for your flight, so you’ll know a good deal when you see it.
5. FlightChecker: Use the FlightChecker to find out when you should fly to get the best deals.
6. Flycheapo: Find low-cost flying stats, news, great routes, and more on this cheap flight site.
7. AirDig: Get this “ultimate airfare search tool” to find flights, take notes, and save your favorites for comparison later.
8. TripSync: Use this mobile booking site to enjoy lots of features and integration.
9. Yapta: Stay on top of fare fluctuations to get credits or cash back when your fare’s price drops.
10. FlyerTalk: Check out these forums to learn how other travelers save money, especially frequent flyers.
11. Airfare Watchdog: This tool will alert you when your selected airfares are low.
12. TripStarter: This tool will tell you when to travel so that you’ll get the most out of your flight money.
13. ExpertFlyer: Check out ExpertFlyer to get real-time seat maps for more than 100 carriers, so you can find the flight with the best seat for your cash.
14. Mile Maven: Find the best limited-time deals for frequent flyer bonus miles.

Websites

These booking sites, aggregators, and other resources offer a great way to spot deals for the flight you need.

15. Kayak: On Kayak, you can search more than 140 travel sites at once, then compare them side by side.
16. SideStep: SideStep offers an easy way to search more than 200 sites, plus use helpful tools like their airport guides.
17. Farecast: Use Farecast to do a smart travel search that warns you when fares are expected to rise.
18. Tripology: Fill out Tripology’s questionnaire, and you’ll be matched with a travel agent who can find your perfect flight.
19. Mobissimo: Search airfares, find deals that other travelers have used, and get travel information on this site.
20. TravelZoo: Sign up for TravelZoo’s Top 20 Travel emails to find some impressive deals.
21. Fly Cheap Abroad: This site promises to find cheap tickets for international travel.
22. Priceline: Take advantage of Priceline’s travel search, or get even better discounts by using their “name your own price” option.
23. BootsnAll: Find cheap flights and so much more on this independent traveler network.
24. Travelocity: Book your flight with Travelocity, and you’ll be able to find last minute packages, information, and flight status.
25. Skyscanner: Check out Skyscanner’s suggestions, or just search for incredibly flexible travel times.
26. Orbitz: Check out featured deals, create a package, and more with Orbitz.
27. CheapoAir: On this site, you’ll find super-cheap flights, reviews, and more.
28. Momondo: Search more than 400 travel sites in the blink of an eye with this web 2.0 travel site.
29. Expedia: Get a great fare and earn rewards at the same time using Expedia.
30. dohop: This site makes it easy to find the cheapest, fastest route to your destination.
31. CheapTickets: Check out the CheapTickets “Cheap of the Week,” organize your trips, and more on CheapTickets.
32. Hotwire: On Hotwire, you’ll find money-saving airfares and useful tools.
33. FareChase: On Yahoo!’s travel search engine, you can find great deals.

Articles

Follow the strategies outlined in these articles to get the best deal possible.

34. How to Get the Cheapest Flight Every Single Time: This article has helpful recommendations for websites and booking strategies.
35. Finding the best flight fares: Find out what Pauline Frommer has to say about finding cheap flights.
36. How to score a cheap airline ticket: Read this article to find out how you can save money on fares beyond discount airlines.
37. A Peek at Peak Travel: Get the lowdown on busy, expensive days to fly.
38. An Insider’s Guide to Cheap Airfares: This article offers a few insider guidelines that you should follow.
39. Tips for Finding Cheap Airfare: This article offers ten easy tips for scoring a cheap flight.
40. How to buy cheap airline tickets: This article offers tips and suggestions for lots of fare-finding tools.
41. Best Sites for Cheap Flights: Tips for Finding the Lowest Airfare: Check out this article for tips, website suggestions, and more.
42. SoYouWanna Find a Cheap Plane Ticket?: This guide offers a step-by-step tutorial for finding a cheap flight.
43. How to Find Cheap Airfare: Check out this fun video to get some cheap flight tips.
44. How to Buy Cheap Plane Tickets: Follow these rules to avoid overpaying for your flight.
45. How to Fly as a Courier: This article offers great tips for getting a deeply discounted fare by flying as a courier.
46. Refunds: Who’s the Best When You’re Due a Refund: Find out about airlines’ affordability when you’re in a bind.
47. Cheap Plane Tickets — Why You’re Not Finding Them: Check out these slick tricks to get the best flight for your money.
48. We Love to Fly and It Shows: Inside the World of Mileage Running: In this article from Wired, you’ll learn great strategies for accumulating frequent flyer miles.
49. How to Book a Cheap Flight: Use this article’s advice to avoid overpaying on your flight.
50. Do Cheap Flights Still Exist?: This article describes the rising cost of travel, and offers some tips for making it more affordable.