Most of us don't fly on one particular airline enough to really rack up serious miles, So if you don't have 100,000 frequent flyer miles and still want to save a few dollars, here's what you can do.

Get a Base Fare...........
I always call the airline, just to see what they tell me a ticket costs. They get annoyed sometimes when you don't buy, but oh well that's their job. If you're afraid you can't beat their deal, most of them will hold it for you for 24 hours without giving them your plastic. I then have what a i call my base fare. This is the fare I'm determined to beat and 90% of the time, I do.

Determine your desperation...........
Determine how desperate I am to get where I want to go. If i'm very desperate, Shopping the Internet can be the quickest and easiest way to compare many different Airlines’ rates to find the best deals.

Relax and continue surfing...........
I don't care when I get there but have a day in mind and am flexible. So I jump onto some of the airlines individual sites. I type in different schedules with different days and get a price. This almost always beats the price I was quoted on the phone too. Especially if I stay over a Saturday night. Works for me. I pick the best schedule, on the airline-du-jour and create an itinerary. I do this with each airline, sometimes there are huge differences. When I find my price, I buy my ticket!

Basically, that's it. I am pretty successful at this. You can usually get discounts if you have a family emergency as well. If this is the case, be sure to tell them. Some with ask for verification, others won't but still they can sometimes be very accommodating.

If you are on your trip and not in a hurry another great way to get free travel or upgrades is to give up your seat if they offer. Whenever I check in at the gate, I always mention this to the agent. It's amazing how many times this has kicked me up to first class on the next flight, or given me a free voucher.

Speak YOUR mind. And I'm not a happy flyer when I'm not treated the I think I should be. I once had a flight attendant make a rude remark, I was so offended. I emailed the airline as soon as I got home and within 2 days had round trip tickets to anywhere in the US in my mailbox.

All of this will take a little bit of time and effort on your part, but it's usually well worth it.

Good luck on your trip.