If you are planning a vacation abroad, there is at least one thing that you have in common with almost every single world traveler this year. You will have to get on a plane at some point in your vacation. With the cost of gasoline on the rise, you may think it near impossible, but finding inexpensive airline tickets for world travel is possible with a little effort on your part. Who is not willing to put forth a little effort to save a little money? I know I am. I have put together a few tips at finding inexpensive airline tickets for world travel that you may find invaluable.

First of all, shop online. If at all possible, start looking well in advance. As a general rule, the further in advance that the flight is booked, the better price you will get on the ticket. If you can book at least six weeks ahead of time, you will save a substantial amount over the 24-48 hour period just before a flight. Even booking 2 weeks in advance will save you a considerable amount, but the savings will not be as great as if the tickets were purchased earlier.

Shop multiple places before actually purchasing the ticket. Some sites will offer better prices than others, as will some airlines. Keep in mind that there are at least three places you can go to get airline tickets D online, travel agents, and directly to the airline themselves. We as Americans tend to think that going directly to the source saves us money. That is not always the case, especially when it comes to airline tickets.

Don’t be picky. Fly with the small name carriers that can save you a little more money than flying with the big dogs. I am not asking you to fly on “Crash Brothers Airlines” just take a flight with a lesser known carrier. The savings could be anywhere from small to half or more.

Just like booked a hotel in the “off” season, you can take a flight at an “off” time. If you can be flexible on your take off and arrival times, or if you can make your visit somewhat extended, you could save considerable amounts on your airline tickets. For some night owls, this would be no stretch at all, but for some, taking the “Red Eye” to Shanghai is not on their list of top ten things to do in life.

If you are willing to be flexible with your flight times, then allowing the website to choose your flight time for you. A less popular time of the day could get you a great deal on a flight. The cheaper flights may not be as bad as you think. Instead of leaving at 8:30 am, you may leave at 7:00 am, which is not that bad of a change for saving a few dollars.

Be willing to go on Standby. This is more difficult if you are trying to plan a trip with a group of people, or if your first day of your trip entails a schedule of any kind, but if you are very flexible with your flight times, flying standby could save you more money than you may think. You may or may not get on the flight that you were wanting, but the savings are definitely there for those willing to wait on a flight with room for them.

As you can see, finding inexpensive airline tickets for world travel is not as difficult as you may have thought. With a little effort, you too can save money on your world travels.