Top Eight Ways to Find Cheaper Fares

#8: Flexible travel plans can save money. Airlines frequently have lower fares if you include a Saturday night stay over. If you're thinking about a return flight on Friday or Saturday, check out the cost for returning on Sunday or Monday. Tuesdays and Wednesdays can be good return days too.

#7: Buy at the last minute. Yes, it sounds crazy, but sometimes airlines cut prices at the last minute. This only works if you’re ultra flexible…

#6: Subscribe to the email alerts offered by travel web sites and airlines. This is a good way to get a quick heads-up on cheap fares

#5: Search multiple sources. Don’t depend on just one travel web site. Have several in the mix and be sure to include airline web sites.

#4: Put a travel agent in your mix. Remember, they keep track of fares day-in-and-day-out. A good one can anticipate price drops. Don’t be put off by the fact that they charge fees. Most travel web sites charge fees too!

#3: Search often. Airlines have a game of sorts that they play with fares. Example: XYZ Airline advertises $30 fares to Rome. What the airline doesn't say is that there are only ten seats available at that price. So if you search often, you’ll have a better chance of snapping up one of those bargain fares. Not only that, but fares can change from day to day, hour to hour—another reason to search often.

#2: Plan ahead. Book your flight as far out as possible. Fares start going up considerably when you purchase less than 21 days before the flight. Why? As the departure date gets closer, the supply of seats gets smaller--and the price goes up. Bottom line: if at all possible, plan ahead. If you put off the purchase until the last moment, you'll pay a premium.

#1: Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that prices are always the same. They’re not! Just because they’re high one day, doesn't mean they’ll be high the next—you can find cheaper fares by using these handy tips!

Did you know that five of our 10 non-stop destinations are on a low-cost airline? That's right—on Allegiant Air! Here are some more rock-solid tips for finding cheap fares from Springfield: