The Net has finally come of age when it comes to the travel industry. Not only can you book air tickets, car rentals, hotel reservations or even rent apartments online, you can do it on secure websites, and you can comparison shop to a degree you may never have enjoyed just using your telephone. Finally, consumers can wade through airlines' strategic fare base codes and, instead of paying a quoted price, keep searching and likely find a lower price. And lower... and lower.
Supply and demand rules this game, and the sacrifice you likely make by snatching those rock-bottom fares is the freedom to change your mind. Restrictions on date changes, high penalties, inconvenient stopovers--all of these make the cheapest flights look a little less desirable. That's why you might find yourself choosing a more expensive ticket that allows changes over a bargain basement ticket that doesn't.
Airlines know that many travelers with low risk tolerance or high standards of personal comfort will always demand business class, always want the flexibility to change their minds, always want to know they can use the value of the ticket if their trip is cancelled. But budget travelers, the cheapest, wouldn't care if you were seated in the luggage hold. For you, an air ticket to Europe is like bus fare: You just want to get on and get off 10 or so hours later at your destination, and if you have to follow some rather awkward rules to get there for about a hundred bucks, you'll do it.
Shoulder season, the period preceding high season (the summer), is always a great time to take advantage of special sales. The demand for high-season tickets creates an extra supply in the shoulder, so the airlines implement various price breaks for seniors, students, or other groups who are flexible and want to save serious cash.
I can't tell you every website offering discount airfares...search "low fares paris" for yourself, and you'll see just how big a business it is. What I can tell you is, after a lot of research, I found there are still incredible fares out there. Most, though, have an angle. Some fares require registration at their site for quotes, some don't. One ticket seller offers deep discounts to members who subscribe to the site for a fee. Whatever the angle, you might find something that fits, or can be made to fit, your plans.
