The problem for any traveler is not finding a place to go, but figuring out how to get there cheaply. Sometimes, half the cost of a trip is in the travel itself.

Finding a cheap flight is as important as finding the right location, the right tour, the right backpack, or the right hotel. Yet with travel on the rise and high oil prices, airlines are raising ticket prices to cover rising costs. That makes knowing how to find a cheap ticket even more important. Here are a few tips that can help you find a cheap flight:

Be flexible with your travel dates.
If you’re rigid with your dates, you won’t be able to capture any of the pricing variations airlines use. Ticket prices always fluctuate depending on day and time of the week. For example, it’s always cheaper to fly mid-week than on a weekend. It’s cheaper to fly out after major holidays rather than before. That week after Christmas? No one ever flies, and prices drop. For some odd reason, flight prices drop a bit on Tuesday nights. When searching for flights, be flexible – you will catch better deals. Allow yourself some wiggle room going there and coming back. The difference of a day can be the difference of a few hundred dollars.

Fly to secondary airports with low-cost carriers.
Most major cities have a smaller, secondary airport. This is the airport most low-cost carriers (LCCs) fly into because it’s cheaper and it helps keep costs down, which helps keep prices down. Check out what airlines fly into these airports. For example, you can take JetBlue to Long Beach, an airport equally close to LA, instead of LAX and save some money on a flight. Flying the LCCs is a good alternative whenever possible. You get less “perks,” but you can save a bundle in ticket costs. This is especially true in Europe, where competition is stiff.

Try alternative paths.
Not only does it help to be flexible with dates, but try being flexible with the route you take, too. Sometimes it’s cheaper to fly to London and take a LCC to Amsterdam rather than flying direct to Amsterdam. There are so many low cost airlines around that you can take advantage of a great deal to a different city, and then catch an LCC to your destination. This is especially true in Europe, where you can sometimes get flights for 1 Euro plus tax! By working various airlines and special offers, you can help save yourself money. It is a little more work, but it can give you more to spend at your destination.

Know what you want to pay for a flight.
People always try to get the lowest price online, wait too long, and then pay too much. We all know airline prices always bounce up and down, yet in our quest to hold out just a little longer, most of the time we miss the lowest price. Therefore, it’s important to know what you want to pay, not what you hope to pay. What’s the lowest price for YOU? Is $150 roundtrip from NY to Miami what you want? Don’t want to pay more than $900 to go from LA to Tokyo? Then don’t. Don’t wait for the perfect price – wait for YOUR price. Then you will never have buyer’s remorse. Prices always fluctuate, but to catch the best price, try booking 6-8 weeks prior to your departure. Also, try sites like Farecast that can help you catch a price dip.

Remember, not all search sites are equal.
Whenever I start my Internet flight searches, I tend to go right to Expedia. It is really out of habit more than anything else, but I don’t just search Expedia. I’ll see what prices one site offers and then check out all the other travel sites like Priceline, Travelocity, Momondo and Orbitz. Not all sites are created equal, and you will find varying prices on each one. It’s also useful after you find a flight to check out the carrier’s own website. Sometimes, the flight is cheaper (or the same) on the carrier’s website, and you avoid the fees the search engines charge.

Search the airline carrier’s international websites.
On that same thought, don’t forget to search the international websites of all major airlines. You might think that prices will be same across the board, but remember that all sites and prices are not the same. I have found Air New Zealand tickets from Tokyo to LA hundreds of dollars cheaper when searching the NZ version of the website instead of the US. I found tickets to and from Europe cheaper by searching the Canadian version of the British Airways website. Many times, these tickets are also priced in foreign denominations, which can also make the prices slightly cheaper depending on your currency. Don’t think you that can’t book the flight if you’re not in that country either, because you can! (Note: The recent fall of the US dollar has made this hard to work for Americans but easier for people on the Euro, Pound, or Yen!)

Take advantage of student discounts.
If you are a student, there are discounts available for you. Check out STA Travel and their search engine. You can find flexible student tickets on their website and agency stores. I used them for a $400 dollar ticket from Athens to Bangkok. You can’t get much cheaper than that!

Travel off peak.
Traveling during off peak times reduces costs all around, especially on airlines. It’s double to go to Europe in the summer or Australia in the winter.

Sign up for newsletters.
Sign up for airline newsletters and fare updates. They will keep you in the loop for when prices drop so you can snatch up the cheap deals right away and not miss out.

It may be getting harder to find cheap flights, but they are still out there.