Advice on Booking a Flight

I do the same as Melissa K. I go to Kayak.com to search for the best flights - they compare all the airlines and flights except Southwest.
Kayak doesn't give you the flights/prices for Southwest. So I look at Southwest's website to see their flights separately, and compare them to what I found on Kayak to see which is better. Those two sites are the only ones I need to find my flights, usually.

Once I've identified what flights I want, I write down the airline and flight numbers, and go to that specific airline's website to book.

I always book directly through the airline. Compare prices on Orbitz, then go directly to the website of the airline you want to use to actually purchase the ticket. In all my years of traveling, I've never actually seen the Orbitz price being less than the airline's price...

Significant savings on the actual airline site, Wednesday after midnight. Bon voyage!!!!

Check with Southwest if they have flights out of your airport. I've found them to have the best prices.

I book travel almost daily for our personal and business use.

I NEVER, EVER use discounters. You can get a good deal directly though an airline website. The first people to be bumped from flights, or have issues are usually (not always) the discounted tickets. If you have a discounted ticket, get to the airport, have issues, you have no customer service. You are relying on whomever answers the phone on the 800 line and hope they are capable of helping you.

I work directly with American Airlines and Southwest airlines. Especially if you book 21 days in advance, the rates are better. Southwest has great deals for advance tickets. We run our own company and my hubby flies to Houston at least once a month. I check the Southwest site and on their 40th birthday in June/July they had 1 way for $40. I booked all his tickets through December for less that $100 round trip.

They have a LOT of web specials. If you have trouble, I've found SOuthwest to be one of the most helpful and best with customer service.

Just be wary using discounters and make sure you read ALL the fine print.

I use Kayak.com (used to be SideStep.com). The website compares the different airlines' prices. Once I've found one I like, I then go directly to that airlines' website and book online with the airline.

Cheaptickets.com is one site. sometimes also it might be cheaper to fly out of Flint than Detroit metro. Check that out and if it'll be a significant amount. I mean it takes gas to get up to Flint too, so make it count. Check with the lesser air companies, like Air Tran, or Air West. Southwest is normally very punctual and relatively low price. Also, it depends on when you leave and return as far as fares. If you leave mid week, e.g., it might be cheaper than on the weekend.

I use orbitz.com or travelocity.com to compare prices, then I usually book on the airline's website, although sometimes I book through those sites, especially if it mixes airlines. One of them also has a calendar that shows what days are cheaper to fly than others. Last year we went to Las Vegas and it was cheaper to fly there on Thursday rather than Friday, and I got a hotel deal for pay for 3 nights get one free, so that Thursday night ended up free and I saved money on the flight...I think that was on Orbitz.
good luck!
D.

I'd look on Orbitz, Hotwire, or Kayak for flight prices, but I don't ever book flights from there. Once I see what the prices are, I book directly from the airline's site in case there is an issue. I don't want to have to deal with the middle man if there is a flight change or cancellation. Good luck and hope you find a great deal!

I believe Southwest airlines is the only airline that will allow you to rebook without a big penalty.... if you have it in Mi. Some airlines charge to check and some don't.

"Bing" is a website that has a way to check whether the flight will go up, or whether it is a good time to book, or whether it will go down.

I have to agree with booking through the airline. We use Allegiant and they are AWESOME. Direct flights and always super helpful. :)

Kayak is a nightmare and takes forever for the results to load. Go Orbitz....you will get the cheapest price and I have used them numerous times and never been disappointed. You can also choose the option of Orbitz searchign nearby airports for a cheaper price (if thats an option for you). Also, try conducting your search on a Tuesday or Thursday because flights will be cheaper....I saw this on 20/20 or Dateline or somewhere. Happy travels!