Cheap Flight Tickets: Perfect for an Open Mind

Airlines can offer the epitome of luxury, but they can also offer the epitome of discomfort, angst and all-around poor service. In the end, however, many individuals will choose the latter if it means saving money. Some vacations, honeymoons for example, are meant to be indulgences-the best five-star hotels, the best luxury rental car, airplane tickets in first-class with huge seats and constant service.

Other trips, like business trips or simple weekend getaways with the kids to a city close by or a cabin up north, are not necessary about the trip itself-instead, it is the destination that matters. Especially on domestic flights, flights that will only last six hours at the most, some comfort can easily be sacrificed for the sake of economic savings, and that is why cheap flight tickets are so popular.

Securing the Deal

So how does an individual get cheap flight tickets? While there are many third-party websites that exist solely to offer cheap packages to consumers, sometimes the cheapest tickets are available directly from the airlines. But why are there so many cheap flight tickets? Why do some people end up paying full-price when others can get such big discounts?

While some companies offer discounts for packages purchased in advance, there is a lot that goes into determining which flights will be discounted. For example, if airlines know in advance that certain flights will not be full-for example, if it is a poor travel period-they will offer discounts on the normal price for a similar flight. Cheap flight tickets are offered because the airline would rather get some money versus no money for an unfilled seat, and consumers are rewarded for deciding to travel during a slow period.

However, a lot of cheap flight tickets are secured last-minute. Once again, airlines will know eventually that certain flights are not going to fill up, even during peak travel times, so they may discount tickets a few days before the flight in the hopes of tempting some last-minute travelers.

Also in the case of last-minute travel, some seats are discounted because they are not very desirable. Some are in coach, while others are middle seats sandwiched between strangers. A lot of families will want to sit together, and a lot of people will select window seats, so the seats left over are not the best. But for individuals who are willing to split up, or who are willing to take those middle seats, there are a lot of cheap flight tickets available year round.