1. Look at money-saving destinations
If you’ll vacation in the U.S., consider a tour of New England after flying into Boston, or revel in the Rockies after landing in Denver. Both have been "cheaper destination" cities for years. Lately, there have been good deals to San Diego, Seattle and New Orleans.
In Europe, deals to Iceland and Scandinavia continue, while Paris has been a bargain for some departure cities. Recently, more and more deals to Barcelona.
2. Sign up for faster security
Time is money, and if you miss a flight, the airlines will prove it to you by charging a very expensive change fee (up to $200).
Avoid running late by gliding through security checkpoints -- you can do this by joining PreCheck and using the members-only lanes. The cost is $85 for five years. International travelers pay $100 for five years for Global Entry, which includes PreCheck. Ask anyone who’s in it and they’ll say it’s worth it for the speed alone.
3. Your precise vacation days matter
If flying domestically, you can often find much better deals by flying Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday. If you can’t build your vacation around those days, try flying one of them, maybe Saturday to the following Sunday...
4. Check fares now
This will give you a good idea about the cheaper times to fly. It’s also a good time to sign up for airfare alerts. In both cases, if you see a fare you like, book it; cheap seats don’t last.
5. Know your airline, avoid painful fees
Plan your bags in advance and you won’t over pack and you won’t pay fees (or pay too much). Here’s a quick tip sheet:
- Free carry-on bags: Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, United (unless you buy basic economy tickets on American and United; then you’ll be charged a fee and the carry-on must be checked)- Free checked bags: Southwest allows passengers two checked-bags for free- No free bags: Allegiant, Frontier and Spirit charge for all bags. Be sure to look at the fees carefully; these discounters often charge more for carry-ons than checked-bags