http://www.airbrokers.com http://www.airdeals.com http://www.cts.com http://www.dfwtours.com http://www.afbusters.com http://www.travac.com http://www.1800airfare.com http://www.unitravel.com http://www.cheaptickets.com
Another tip: if you're going on vacation, a good option is a package deal. I don't advocate fancy cruise/bus tour/hotel dinner-type packages that get away from the real purpose of travel (attacking a destination rather than experiencing it). I do, however, think that air/hotel or air/hotel/rental car packages are viable budget alternatives. Recently I found and purchased a great package deal for two to the island of Kauai, Hawaii for an amazing $650 per person. The price included round-trip airfare on Hawaiian Airlines from the West Coast to Kauai, 7 nights in a spacious two-bedroom condo and a rental car for 7 days with unlimited mileage. My travel companion and I would have never been able to piece together anything close to that price on our own. As a result of our super deal, we were able to save money by buying our own food and keeping it at the condo. Plus, the car afforded us a lot of freedom and fun on the island: a digeridoo player and a Big Foot fanatic were just two of the er, interesting hitchhikers we picked up on the way to Hanalei.
The Hawaii deal was so great and the service so amazing that I need to mention the travel agency by name: More Hawaii For Less, http://www.hawaii4less.com. Give them a call if you're headed to Hawaii. For discount packages to other places, its best to consult the Sunday travel section of your newspaper. Different agencies specialize in different parts of the United States and the world.
Keep in mind that off-season travel is generally cheaper. If you're limited to holiday periods for travel, you may end up paying more - but it's still possible to find deals. Starting a few months ago, I checked the Internet for low cross-country airfares for Christmas. I didn't find anything low enough for weeks. But I kept trying and it paid off. Eventually a nice deal popped up on my laptop screen. Using a $50 off coupon from buying a previous ticket, I (and my cash-challenged wallet) are happy to announce we will be traveling coast-to-coast and back again during the holidays for about $210.
So how low is low enough? The answer is a matter of personal budget and patience. My personal parameters are never paying more than $250 RT anywhere within the Lower 48 and Canada and no more than $500 RT to anywhere in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. For Western Europe, I recommend shooting for the $300-$700 RT range, depending on where you're starting from and where you're going in Europe. London is usually the cheapest European city to fly into, with Amsterdam and Paris a close second and third. Try to find fares to Asia and the Pacific for under $900 RT, and for Africa, the former Soviet Union and the Middle East below $1,000 RT.
