Getting the Cheapest Airline Ticket, or Snipe Hunting

There's a dirty little secret about finding the lowest airfare for your trip.

It's not possible. Just like hunting a snipe, you'll never find what you're looking for.

A plane lands at the beachfront airport on St. Maarten

I know, probably not what you were wanting to hear. People often ask me if it makes a difference what day of the week is used for booking, or if one airline is consistently cheaper than the others. Sadly, at this point it's incredibly difficult to pin down. Southwest, once known as the discount airline, often outprices Delta and more traditional airlines. Sure, you don't have to pay them for your checked bags, but if the fare is $80 higher then what's the point?

Just recently a new regulation requires all airlines to post their prices tax-inclusive, meaning what you see is what you will actually pay. It used to be that the website, such as Delta.com, would display a fare like this:

$268
+ $38.90 taxes/fees

So while the pre-tax fare was $268, you really were paying $306.90. The airlines have complained, because as you may be able to guess, $268 looks a lot better than $306.90, even with the small print. The psychological effect of the smaller large number can fool you into believing you're getting a better value. Kinda like the gas stations - the prices are listed as $X.XX9 per gallon - that extra nine tenths of a cent means you might as well be paying the next cent up, but $2.999 looks better than $3.00.

Despite all the moaning that goes on about the economy and sagging numbers, airlines are continually at or near capacity. There's no reason at this time for dramatic fare discounts like we saw post-9/11; travel numbers are good, even if there are less planes in the sky than there used to be.

When you want to book a flight, your best bet is to come up with a comfort zone. Say for example you're flying from LAX (Los Angeles) to MCO (Orlando) - everyone is quoting you about the same amount ($450). It's not ideal - let's say you'd be thrilled with $300, but satisfied with $375. Monitor the prices and if they're beginning to climb, don't hesitate - book it. Orbitz offers a Price Assurance guarantee - if the price drops after you book it, they'll refund you the difference automatically (as little as $5, and as much as $250) with a check after your trip. Better that than holding out too long and staring down the face of a $625 ticket because you gambled with your travel budget. You also don't want to hold out for something ludicrous, like $150 for a cross country roundtrip itinerary. It's not going to happen, so adjust your expectations accordingly.

Of course, if you find the snipe, let us know in the comments. Some people have a lot of success bidding on Priceline, but with lots of full seats that strategy is no longer a sure thing. What works for you?