Fly off with savings on air travel

Whether for business or pleasure, airline travel doesn't have to come with a painful price tag. There are ways to save on the money you fork out for tickets. Here are some tips: 

Buy online You are more apt to get discounts when buying your tickets online. Ticket counters and phone sales don't have the ability to offer you the best deals and last-minute cheap seats like booking online. 

Buy early No matter where or when you are flying, book your tickets the moment you know you are leaving. Last minute ticket sales are notoriously more expensive. Giving two to three weeks advance notice can save you a substantial amount money.

Be flexible Don't be rigid in your travel plans, whether this means to relax the travel times or by having stopovers, stay flexible. You are going to save money the more you allow yourself to be inconvenienced.

Score rewards Whether you are a member of frequent-flier programs or shopping with a credit card that gives airline rewards, you may be able to save on ticket upgrades. If you travel often, a good airline miles reward credit card and a frequent-flier program can help you get more miles for your money. If you don't have a credit card that offers these types of rewards, it may pay you to switch your card to one that does.

Comparison shop See comparison websites such as Orbitz and Expedia to see some low ticket prices. You aren't guaranteed that price, seat or time until you pull the trigger and buy the seat, but if you are willing to be daring, you can save a good bit of cash. The prices on these sites are always changing. However, it’s possible that the fair will decrease after you purchase your ticket, and some sites will refund you the difference.

Always check in on all the deal sites prior to purchasing your airline ticket to see the best deals available at the time of your flight. When you do that, you can fly off with some terrific savings.

About the Author: Tina Samuels writes on small business topics, among which include saving money on travel and how to remove personal information.