Secrets to Booking Cheap Airfare

Airline travel is becoming more expensive with each passing day. For the airlines, it's about getting you to pay as much as possible. So they don't make it easy for you to get a good deal. On a single flight, there can be more than a dozen pricing categories and as many as 50 different prices. Here are some insider tips to help you get a better deal.

Book six weeks in advance: Passengers pay the lowest price, nearly 6% below the average fare, if they buy six weeks before their flight. The six-week rule isn't necessarily a surefire strategy for snagging the cheapest fare but it's a good rule of thumb.

Scan for morning deals: Airlines only post a limited number of seats at a reduced fare at night. So try and snag seats early in the morning. The early morning is the time when you'll see most of the best deals.

Best time to buy: Tuesdays at 3 p.m. Eastern. If you don't find the discounts you're looking for in the early morning, studies show that the best time to buy airline tickets is on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Once again, this is a guide. Airlines post deals at other times as well.

Cheapest day to fly: Wednesday. The cheapest day to fly is Wednesday for domestic travel. This is the day with the most seats available and thus ... more empty seats that require discounting to fill the plane. Other low-cost days to fly are Tuesday and Saturday.

Check Twitter and Facebook: Airlines have been experimenting with blasting special reduced fares via social media. But you have to be fast: Some deals can be gone within hours.

Fly out early: The cheapest flight is typically the first flight of the morning. The next-cheapest flight times are during or after lunch or at the dinner hour. The absolute cheapest time to fly is on those limited routes with red-eye flights.

Fly two different airlines: Sometimes it's worth it to mix and match. Most airlines now sell one-way flights at reasonable prices, meaning one might be cheaper for the outbound flight while the other works better for the return. You could even fly to one airport and depart from another.

Check low-cost airlines individually: Comparison airline ticket websites don't necessarily get you the best price. Some low-cost airlines, like Southwest, don't allow their tickets to be quoted on popular comparison websites. So be sure to check them separately. Make sure the so-called "low cost" airline doesn't tack on extra fees that drive up the cost. This is a favorite tactic of some budget airlines.

Build a relationship: If you're an elite member of an airline's frequent-flyer program or if you have a credit card that's tied to the airline, you automatically have a leg-up on other travelers. Credit cards tied to the airlines now offer perks that were once standard, such as free checked bags, priority boarding, and seat selection, so they may be worth signing up for if you fly frequently on one airline.