Exploring several methods to obtain cheap airfare should be at the top of the list of anyone planning a trip for the summer or anytime of the year. You must however admit one thing about cheap airfare and it’s the menace known as cheap airfare as embodied by constant overbooking of flight seats and which is now accepted as the norm.

Do you know that such situation provide a good opportunity to get discounted airfare? This is the way to go about it- call the travel agent or airline in question 24 hours before your departure and make inquiries regarding the flight; this is the foolproof way to determine if it’s overbooked or not.

When flights are overbooked you should make sure you arrive at the airport 2 good hours ahead of time because this will place you at the head of the queue.

It’s time to act- you should volunteer to be bumped when asked by the airline (they are obligated legally to do this) but only after getting a concession in the form of a discounted airfare. After you get the concession, swing fast into action by invoking rule number 240 immediately; this states that irrespective of the airline concerned, you must be on board the next available flight.

By regularly checking the special offers area on the websites of airlines before booking a flight you can also find cheap airfare as these sections are often where several discounted airfare packages are located.

By selecting various major airports that are near to your destination, you can kill two birds with a single stone; get cheap airfare and turn around what would have been an expensive trip to a more affordable one. A good practical case is for someone going to Montreal but who decides to drop at New York’s JFK airport and cover the rest of the trip by road; this is a very cost effective way to save money.