Travel

Things You'll Need

Use a piece of blank paper to organize your search. At the top, write the dates you want to travel and your preferred times for departure and arrival, for both the departing and returning trips.

Check your local Sunday newspaper for a listing of the cheapest flights from your town to other destinations. Many Sunday editions feature a list of the week's ticket bargains.

Check websites such as Expedia.com, Orbitz.com and Travelocity.com, which make it easy to compare airfares. You may or may not not find the cheapest prices on these sites, but typically you will find lower prices than you would receive from a travel agent. It is easy to book a flight, hotel and rental car at these websites.

Call the airlines directly. Often, the best way to find the cheapest price is to call the 800 number listed for each airline that goes to the destination where you wish to fly. Many times the agents know of "sales" on tickets which are not published elsewhere. You may have to ask for the lowest price available. The agent can book the flight for you when you're ready.

Each time you call an airline, write down the name of the airline and the phone number where you reached an agent. Note the arrival and departure times, as well as any cities and times for layovers. For each airline, write the final price of the ticket.

Review your notes, comparing prices, travel time, layovers, and departure and arrival times, both from online sites and from your discussions with the airline ticket agents, and you will be able to come to a knowledgeable conclusion about which is the best ticket price for your flight