Travel

You can find an inexpensive flight to Mexico anytime except between January and April. (Photo: mexico scenery image by Cosette from Fotolia.com )

It s important to be flexible when looking for a cheap flight to Mexico. When it s cold up north, everyone wants to head south, so the cheapest fares aren t going to be available between January and April. The best time to visit Mexico is between September and December or from late April until the end of June.

Step 1

Buy your tickets early. According to Brian Elk of Priceline.com, I think most airline sources would agree that anything outside 21 days before takeoff is considered an advance-purchase ticket. Airlines are different, but generally, once you hit 15 days before the flight, the price begins to go up, then it goes up again at the seven-day mark. So if you want a retail ticket, buy it at least 21 days out for the best price.

Step 2

Fly into Mexico City. According to the website Experience San Miguel de Allende, Mexico City offers the greatest choice of schedules, connections and airline. If you intend to visit Mexico City in addition to your other destinations, flying here first is the often the cheapest option. Also, if you are on a very small budget and don t mind spending time on a bus, you can fly into Mexico City and take a bus to your destination.

Step 3

Fly in the fall. According to Experience San Miguel de Allende, Traveling in the off-season can save you big bucks. American Airlines and others often run all-Mexico specials in the fall, so check them for a cheap Mexico flight. Other airlines also try to match these rates, so call other airlines to see if they ll match or beat this special.

Step 4

Visit your favorite airline s website constantly. Visit more than one airline s website and also travel websites that specialize in selling tickets, such as Orbitz and Travelocity. Subscribe to their email newsletters or their RSS feeds. You might find a cheap rate to Mexico suddenly appears in your email in box one morning.

Step 5

Travel at off times, whether that means the middle of the week or early in the morning. Being flexible in your travel times will help you get the best deal. If you want to travel over Thanksgiving, be flexible enough to travel on Thanksgiving at 5 am. You can save a lot of money by changing your personal itinerary to the whims of an airline deal.

Fly on a Mexican airline. Budget airlines have become very popular in Mexico, as they have in other countries, and flying on one can save you a lot of money. Two of these Mexican budget airlines, Avolar and Volaris, have flights to Le n, Mexico, from Tijuana, which is just over the border from California.

Subscribe to the Twitter feeds of airlines, travel websites and blogs you like, and even ones you don t like. Great travel deals are often tweeted to generate interest.