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It surprises me that so few of my past and likely present exchange partners are so uninventive when it comes to travel arrangements. Virtually all of you expect to fly out from your local airport on a Saturday and return home again on a subsequent Saturday.

It’s a well known fact that the best air travel deals can be found if you’re willing to travel mid-week, off peak, so why is it that so few home exchange participants seem willing to vary their plans to accommodate these savings?

An additional tip to save substantial amounts of money is to travel at off-hours. The less-filled 6 a.m. flight can be a huge bargain.

My personal favorite money saver: Fly on smaller airlines. This tactic often means lower fares — and rest assured, you’re not compromising on safety or comfort.

In fact, to maximize money saving benefits, be flexible in all aspects when planning your flights. Travelers with bendable travel dates and departure locations tend to garner the best bargains. They’re willing to fly any carrier at any time from any airport in their locality. To ensure the best deal possible, always check prices on flights from two or more airports in your area. The resulting savings will likely surprise you and will be well worth any additional driving time.

Finally—always comparison shop online to find the best fare, and then always visit the airline’s web site directly. This tactic will save you the booking fee charged by the online agency. Why pay them to make a booking you can do yourself?

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