Cheap International Flights - How Do YOU Get Yours?

Looking for cheap international flights? Wondering how to get your hands on one? In a nutshell, here's what you need to do...

To get cheap international flights you firstly need to have a ballpark idea about where you want to go right from the start - and be prepared to book way, way ahead of when you want to leave. That way you'll have the flexibility to change departure and arrival travel dates or potentially fly into different airports or cities. Try changing your flight dates if you don't get the results you want at first.

Next up - look for the off peak travel times. In other words, avoid the high travel periods like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and those holidays that you know everyone will be traveling. The logic is that during the high travel periods most flights will be full and you'd be lucky to find any discounts. On the off peak travel times however, not all flights are full, and discounted flights are often plenty.

On a similar note, you sometimes can save yourself the 'weekend surcharge' (which might hit you from $50 up) by flying on weekdays. Just keep that little tidbit in mind. And snapping up a non stop flight should help you avoid other airport taxes and surcharges too... (Apparently they add their own taxes).

Another way to get cheap international flights is by using airline consolidators. (Also called airline discounters). These guys usually offer rates lower than the airlines themselves (sometimes up to 60% off the normal published fare), but make sure you check the fare rules and requirements.

There's also the good old 'sign up for their specials' option too. Actually this is about as good as you can get! Think about it. You sign up and the airline notifies you every time they have flight specials by email or SMS if you request it. Pay a little more to join their loyalty program and you can even more perks.

And don't forget your local media too! Always check the travel or flights section of your local newspaper to see the airlines competing hard for your business, listen for radio fares advertised, or check airline websites for updates. The trick to finding good cheap international flights often comes down to simple research and diligence!

Here's some quick ways you can find cheap international flights:

• Always shop around, browse the airline websites, look for negotiated fares (common on international flights). Keep your eyes open for discounted prices or those 3 day flight specials.
• You can also try booking an international flight on the phone. The free chat 'talk to a live reservation expert' you may see on airline websites can be beneficial. Booking international flights or tickets online can be slow at times, especially in busy periods.
• Heard of 'destination specialists'? These guys (websites) focus on restricted and specific routes and negotiate with the airlines to get the best low cost fares for those routes. Always worth trying!
• Just remember that the key determining factors in the price of your international flight ticket are: flight duration, the perceived comfort of the airline, and the number of stops.

Two quick recommendations for discount international travel advice are BargainTravel.com and ArtOfTravel.com. Have fun!