Unless you are planning a short domestic trip, the cost of airfare is usually a deciding factor, especially in an overseas trip. Most people with moderate incomes simply can't afford to fly regularly, as much as they would like to.  So how do some people seem to be able to fly all the time on regular incomes?

The secret is being able to be flexible, shopping around for the lowest prices and knowing these "insider's secrets" of getting discounted air fares.

Let's start with shopping around for the best fares.  Thanks to the Internet, it's easy for almost anyone to do.  If you type in "airline tickets" or "discount airline fares" or "cheap airline tickets", you'll be amazed at how many websites are available to help you find the lowest fares. 

But don't stop there.  Although many sites claim they are searching "all available flights" for the cheapest possible fare, in reality they probably don't have access to every possible flight.  And not surprisingly, you can often find the cheapest flight from the airline itself - so check their Websites, and then be willing to make a few phone calls as well.

Your next step is to visit some travel agencies.  Remember that because they make their living selling travel arrangements - and they often have access to deals that aren't available to the general public online.  (After all, if you could really get the cheapest flight online by booking your ticket yourself, travel agencies would soon be out of business!)  The fact that they are not suggests that good deals are to found the old fashioned way: by visiting the office of a travel agent.

Your next step is to explore more non-traditional methods of finding cheap flights.  Check out Websites like "Priceline.com" that offer reverse auction systems.  It works like this - you find a flight that meets your date and time requirements, and then place a bid for the amount you're willing to pay for that flight.  If the airline is willing to sell you a seat for that price, your credit card is billed, and you're issued a ticket. 

Another good avenue to explore are the "bucket shops" - companies who buy unsold tickets in bulk at a heavy discount. Here's where your ability to be flexible comes into play.  If you're not fussy about the date and time you have to fly, you can often get a good deal here.  Here's how it works: you give them a week-long window that you'd like to fly in, and a few destination choices - and are able to leave on short notice - if a seat is available within your given parameters, you can have the seat at a heavy discount!

Here's a great "insider's secret" that is almost unknown: look for bucket shops and travel agents located in ethnic neighborhoods of the cities or countries you'd like to travel to. Often, foreign airlines sell discounted tickets to these shops, which in turn serve an ethnic community regularly traveling to their home country. These shops have access to tickets from airlines that often aren't available at your regular travel agent, and can offer a significant savings.

The important thing to remember in terms of discount travel is to explore as many avenues as you can. The more flexible you are willing to be, the cheaper your fare is likely to be - but even if you're stuck with rigid dates, a compressive search will often result in airfares that are significantly lower than those commonly advertised.

Cheryl Antier