When planning for a vacation the first step is to try and save as much money as possible. You want to get the best deal on airfare that you can without spending more money than you should. When dealing with airlines those who proactively look for the best deals are the ones who will find them. Fair or not, the person sitting next to you on the same flight to the same destination may have paid hundreds of dollars less than you.

First you need to contact the major airlines and ask some questions to help you find good deals. Ask if they offer discounts on certain days ? sometimes the middle of the week is the best time since traffic is not bogged down with business travelers. Also ask which night stay over gives you the best rates. Often airlines offer discounts if a certain night of the week is spent in the city you flew to before flying back to your destination.

When you have this information, you can go online. The next step is to compare the different travel days on several travel sites, to see if there is a difference in the rates. Go to the websites, put in the dates that the airlines gave you, and compare prices.

If your travel dates are flexible, you may find that flying in the middle of the month is cheaper than flying at the beginning. The key is to be flexible with your travel arrangements. If you don?t care about traveling on specific days or time of the day, it will help you save money.

Some travel sites will help you compare the fares of different websites, side by side. This is particularly useful, saving you time and effort. Others won?t offer the comparison feature on their websites, but at least they?ll offer a listing of several airlines from which to choose a flight.

Keep in mind the dates that are going to result in the cheapest flights. If your plans are flexible enough for you to save $300 on a trip by traveling on a Wednesday instead of a Friday then you should adjust your plans accordingly.

Booking a trip in advance is the best way to get the best deal. Attempting to get a last minute deal to the destination of your choice is often not possible. Booking ahead of time and being flexible on the dates in which you travel is the best course of action. A long layover during your trip may save money but you must also calculate the cost to and from a hotel and the cost of your room as well in the price of the ticket. A layover of a few hours in an airport is not unbearable, however an overnight stay can prove to be uncomfortable or if you stay in a hotel cost prohibitive.

Graham McKenzie is the content coordinator for the leading UK Flight Comparison website, which offers detailed information on Booking a Flight.

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