International Flight Deals: 5 Tips for Scoring a Great Deal

If the internet has made one big change for the better, it is that commerce has become a lot more competitive than it was 15 or 20 years ago.

For one, anybody who knows what they're doing can start up their own business online, and without the need to be in the same neighborhood as their customers, people are free to shop around and find the absolute best deals available.

This pays off even more because, now that every vendor can sell to every customer, pricing becomes naturally more competitive. If you don't like the price a used book is selling for on Amazon, there's always eBay. When companies know that you can turn around and go to the next site over, they're a lot more willing to give you a great deal.

One of the best side effects of this new economic model is that customers have so many more options open to them now. The prices people are paying on airfare today, taking inflation into account and everything, are generally going to be lower than they were several years ago, because the online travel agencies know that they're not just competing with the guy across town. They are competing with every travel agent out there. This means that people who would never dream of a trip to Europe ten years ago may easily imagine themselves heading to Rome today.

But even if you could book an international flight for cheap right now, you could book it for even cheaper if you take a few tips into account.

1. Always Book Well In Advance
This is the Golden Rule, the One Commandment of booking an international flight. This rule is ONLY to be broken in the event of an emergency. One benefit of booking in advance is that you can browse several different dates and see which one would be the cheapest. The other is that tickets are just plain always going to be cheaper the further in advance you buy them.

2. Avoid the Big Travel Seasons
You're quite a bit more likely to get a great deal if you fly after the holidays, or a bit before or after summer. It's a simple rule of supply and demand. Airlines know they can charge more in the summer and around the holidays, because that's when everyone is demanding tickets. Around the slower seasons, they lower the prices to sell more tickets.

3. Look for All Inclusive Packages
If you can book a flight and a hotel room in the same package, you just might end up spending less than you would buying them both separately.

4. Pack a Lunch
If you want to get the lowest price available, you're probably going to have to settle for a flight with a lot of layovers, and some of those layovers can be pretty trying. This means you're going to spend a lot of time in airports with nothing to do. You're kind of trapped when you're there, so unless you want to pay whatever the airport restaurants and shops are charging, it's a good idea to keeps some non-perishable food in your luggage, as well as something to do to keep you from going nuts.

5. Check for Online Coupons and Discounts.
Online travel sites and coupon sites offer frequent deals on international flights. Do a search for promotions to your destination before you book.

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