Frugality Tip #5: My Secret Weapon to Get the Cheapest Airfare

My family will be doing some traveling in about 4 weeks. Driving will be the major form of transportation, but part of our travels will include flying.

I'm not a fan.

Flying is insanely expensive.

Luckily, I have a secret weapon that tells me the best time to buy airline tickets. Because we've lived far away from family for the last 6 1/2 years, we've flown many times... which has required major hunting for airfare deals.

The secret weapon?

Bing.com's Price Predictor for travel:

The photo above is an example of the kind of information offered through this brilliant travel tool.

I've been checking flights every couple of days for the last two weeks. Based on my flight dates, the Bing Price Predictor has advised me with 80% confidence to WAIT and that the prices on the tickets I want should drop $50 a piece or more. 

So, wait I shall.

The site couldn't be easier to use. You simply enter in your flight dates as you would on any airline website, and a list of flight prices through various airlines appears. But that's not all... it tells you whether to wait for the prices to drop, or buy before the price goes up.

No more guessing!

Here's what you'll do:

1. Go to Bing.com
2. At the top of the page, select MORE.
3. Find the little black suitcase and click on TRAVEL.
4. Near the top of the page you'll see three tabs. Click on the one that says FLIGHTS.
5. Enter in flight information, and click SEARCH.
6. Bing will list available flights and prices and tell you whether you if prices will drop, rise, or if   they're staying steady.

If you find a flight price you like, Bing sends you to the airline's website to get the same price as the one quoted to you on Bing. Or, you can go on Travelocity, or Priceline, or any other "name your price" site now equipped with a good idea of what kind of negotiated price might be accepted.

If you want to fly Jet Blue or Southwest, or any other more obscure, (generally cheaper) airline, you'll have an idea of whether or not their prices might drop or if you should buy your ticket asap, as their price trends generally follow the bigger airline companies price trends.

More from Bing.com:

Find flights with low airfares

When you search for flights on Bing Travel, you get results directly from multiple sites, suppliers, and agencies. When you find the flight you want, we send you to book it on the supplier’s site.

Bing Travel analyzes millions of round-trip flight itineraries daily and intelligently filters airfare data to reveal the best prices and deals. The Bing Travel Price Predictor can advise you whether fares are rising, holding steady, or dropping, and whether you should buy now or wait:

• If fares are predicted to rise, you're likely to pay more by waiting.
• If fares are predicted to drop, you may save money by waiting. 

Thank you, BING!