Note: We traveled for 4 1/2 years in South America, and published a free eBook: Cheap Places in South America & Budget Travel Tips. This is from the ‘How To Save Costs on Airfare’ chapter.
Tips for finding cheap airfare. The following are some basic tips for getting the best airfare prices on your next trip. Flying during high season is going to be the costliest fares across the board: avoid flying on holidays and especially during Carnival – end of February to beginning of March.
Book your flight to South America a month in advance if possible. Booking two weeks ahead of your departure time may offer a decent price break but more often than not scheduling your flight a month or more in advance can add more savings (as long as you are avoiding peak travel periods, of course).
Book departure and arrival days midweek, instead of on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Afterwards, play with the dates to make sure you are getting the best deal i.e. first find the price for a Wednesday departure and arrival, then enter in a Monday date, Friday date, etc to do a quick comparison.
Use an online service that will send you email notification if the fare goes up or down. One option is fare alerts by Airfarewatchdog.com. This is a great way to have someone else be doing the work for you while you spend your time planning your trip!
Use online search comparison tools such as Kayak, Cheapflights or Expedia but also check the airlines website directly, where prices are often similar but service much better if you end up having to change your date of departure or return or other mishap.
Enroll in frequent flyer program, then use the services that will add miles to your card (affiliate programs) and pay for them with your card. Sign-up for the companies newsletter (all major airlines have one) so you are notified when they have a special deal coming up.