Knowing where to find really cheap airline tickets is the first step to shopping for the best airfares online but once you've overcome this little hurdle on your race to getting really cheap airline tickets you'll need to know how to book the cheapest airfares.

Let's say you've found a great website that offers really cheap airline tickets online - like lastminutetravel.com or hotwire.com, you'll need to know when you'll find the best airfares and how to gain from those airline ticket bargains.

Here are two secrets to finding really cheap airline tickets online:

Using the Alternate City strategy:

The average airfare for a round-trip from Chicago to Paris might cost you about $1000 during winter months. For a family of 4 this would be a big cost in they travel budget. But by using the alternate city or nearby airport strategy you could save up to 50% on your airfare. Here's how you can get really cheap airline tickets using this strategy.

So let's say you're looking for international airline tickets, you'll be flying from Chicago to Paris round-trip - the normal airline ticket price would be about $1000.

But instead of flying to Paris, you book a flight to nearby Brussels and then take a short road trip down to Paris. You'll get really cheap airline tickets from Chicago to Brussels and save up to $300 on traveling alone.

Often after all your searching for really cheap airline tickets, you may find your flight has been overbooked. Strangely airline over book their flights regularly, I suppose its one way of ensuring that their flights are fully booked.

But if you're the unlucky one to get bumped from the flight - you have a legal right to compensation. Many experienced air travelers know that getting bumped can be very inconvenient by as with anything to do with air travel - if you're willing to be flexible you'll be rewarded with some really cheap airline tickets deals.

Many experienced travelers would actually volunteer to be the one to get bumped from the flight and take a later flight to the same destination ora flight to a nearby destination.

The airline will compensate these travelers for the major inconvenience by granting them extra frequent flier miles, really really cheap airline tickets in future or even FREE AIRLINE TICKETS.

There are some big advantages to getting bumped from your flight, so if this should ever happen to you - be aware of your options and press the airline into given you a free airline ticket or a really cheap airline ticket deal in return.

Apart from really cheap airline ticket deals - the airline may also give you travel vouchers and free meal tickets while you wait for your next flight. At times you could be treated like VIPs for getting bumped.

MORE TIPS TO FINDING CHEAP AIRLINE TICKETS:
Finding really cheap airline tickets

Gino Sterling