the Airfare Dig

AirfareDig, cleared for take-off!

2005-08-03T02:02:00.000-04:00

...New features, update!

You may have noticed the new menu on the right that allows you to select up to 45 new cities now. Only fares from the original 12 cities are currently available, but all cities will be functioning and have frequent updates within a week! Also, count on receiving the newsletter some of you signed up for, discussion forums, and an exclusive 'Airfarewar' Report. These are just a few of the exciting new things taking place on AirfareDig!

East Coast to Iceland for $61; 88 cent cross-country fares; San Jose, Calif, to Paris for $27.98.

These are just some of the recent outrageous mistakes or deals airlines always offer that are lower than what you can normally find so they can contend in the unknown fare wars. These airfares come from the airline and other travel sites, and can be difficult to find. They aren’t advertised or heard of, and sometimes are even "fat finger fares," lingo for a typo mistake! So how do you discover these great bargains? Welcome to AirfareDig!

My name is Mark, and I am the sixteen-year-old creator of this new, innovative way of finding inexpensive airfare. Sites such as Expedia, Orbitz, or Travelocity all operate in the same fashion, and fail to offer you 'the real deals.' AirfareDig is different:

Everyday, I personally scout out the very best and unknown fares out there and I share where you can find them with you on this unique blog, called AirfareDig.
These fares really work and do not include booking fees; and most importantly, they are easy on the pocket! Most fares are booked on the airline's own website.
As well as listing airfares, I also occasionally post self-written articles about in-depth tips and tricks and various subjects on finding cheap airfare.

I look forward to serving your interest and hope you continue to visit me everyday, right here!

Sincerely,

Mark Becker, AirfareDig Creator

How to Use this Site

Click on a city on the upper right menu that you live in, near, or are interested in traveling too. There, you will discover striking fares and simple directions on how to book. If none of these major cities apply to you, check out the nationwide report, which displays fares to smaller cities and cities not featured. You will be able to navigate other areas of the site at all times using the right-side menu.

Updates occur many times throughout the day so airfares are always current.
The best available airfares are listed in the morning, but can stick around until noon.
I make sure availibility is almost always good unless otherwise noted.
Most fares work in reverse.
A fare can disappear instantly, so if one suits your budget, grab it!
Tell all your friends about AirfareDig!

Minneapolis Strategies

2005-08-01T16:47:00.000-04:00

Current Minneapolis/St. Paul airfares are now found here.

Split-Fare Strategy

This strategy is one of the best and least known ways to save on airfare. A person can book a round-trip flight from point A to B and then book another round-trip flight from point B to C. For example: A recent fare search for a round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Memphis cost about $400 on several carriers. First, I searched for fares from Los Angeles to Denver, and I discovered a $99 round-trip sale on American. Then I looked for deals from Denver to Memphis, and found $175 round-trip on United. The savings was a whopping $125.

This strategy is particularly useful for low fares out of Chicago if you are living in or near Minneapolis. Chicago (O'Hare and Midway) often has a larger market for low airfares compared to Minneapolis, especially International fares. So if you give up looking for fair deals out of the Twin Cities for a particular destination, look at bargains out of Chicago. If you find a deal that is much cheaper than what it is out of Minneapolis, you can book a flight from Minneapolis to Chicago (which are often very cheap, currently $98) and then get on your flight in Chicago.

Although you must be aware of some possible complications. Be sure to give yourself plenty of layover time in Chicago -- three hours at least. There is a good possibility that the agent in Minneapolis will not be able to check you or your luggage in for your next flight from Chicago. Meaning, you will have to retrieve your baggage at the baggage claim in Chicago, check-in again, and go thru security -- a lengthy process! But is it worth the savings? You decide.

Southwest.com: Unknown deals

You may have heard of the low-cost airline Southwest. Technically, they don't serve the Twin Cities, but fortunately they do codeshare flights with ATA to Chicago Midway which allows you to connect on Southwest. Southwest often has great fares, and you can't find them on Orbitz, Expedia, or Travelocity. You can only find them on Southwest.com. Note that this is not a split-fare strategy -- you can book your entire flight from Minneapolis with Southwest!

Get the AirfareDig Toolbar and Newsletter!

2005-07-31T02:21:00.000-04:00

With the AirfareDig toolbar, you can take AirfareDig with you anywhere on the web and you'll never miss an airfare update. It's free, with no spyware or viruses, and takes only seconds to download and install. Get it here.

Tired of logging onto AirfareDig everyday? Now you can get your fares delivered right to your e-mail inbox the instant they're updated. Don't worry, this newsletter is different from your everyday travel deal newsletter. Join now.

Download the AirfareDig Toolbar!

2005-07-31T02:06:00.000-04:00

Take AirfareDig with you everywhere on the web and you'll never miss an airfare update again. You can even search the web and block annoying pop-ups. It's free, with no spyware or viruses, does not open pop-ups or hijack your searches, and no personal information is required. It downloads and installs in seconds!

To download, Select a desired city for which your toolbar will be specifically tailored for:

Questions, comments, suggestions? E-mail me!

How to Use this Site

2005-07-20T00:19:00.000-04:00

Click on a city on the upper right menu that you live in, near, or are interested in traveling too. There, you will discover striking fares and simple directions on how to book. If none of these major cities apply to you, check out the nationwide report, which displays fares to smaller cities and cities not featured. You will be able to navigate other areas of the site at all times using the right-side menu.

Other items of note:

Updates occur many times throughout the day so airfares are always current.
The best available airfares are listed in the morning, but can stick around until noon.
I make sure availibility is almost always good unless otherwise noted.
Most fares work in reverse.
A fare can disappear instantly, so if one suits your budget, grab it!
All fares are booked on secure sites, most often with the airline.
Check the site out everyday, bookmark it, and tell your friends!

AirfareDig in the News

2005-07-09T16:51:00.000-04:00

Recently, I appeared on the morning show on KSTP out of Minneapolis/St. Paul. I enjoy being able to promote my site this way and give my best advice on airfare. Within the very near future, I have plans to appear on more news broadcasts and mentionings in major press and media converages.

This Week on AirfareDig

2005-07-09T01:00:00.000-04:00

Here's whats new this week and for the upcoming month on AirfareDig:

AirfareDig cleared for take-off! Please take a moment to read my welcome all about the new AirfareDig and a brief memo on how to use the site. Go!
Do you know I begin updating AirfareDig daily in the wee-hours of the morning from 1 a.m.? Go behing the scenes of AirfareDig and see how I work, complete photos! Go!
Students, five new ways to fly! From ‘pizza-priced’ flights and air-passes to thousands of discounted student-only fares, airfare is no longer an issue. Go!

Join the AirfareDig Newsletter!

2005-07-01T20:42:00.000-04:00

Tired of logging onto AirfareDig everyday? Now you can get your local fares delivered right to your e-mail inbox the instant they're updated. Don't worry, this newsletter is different from your everyday travel deal newsletter -- these are the same true hard-to-find, short-lived airfare bargains you always find on AirfareDig.

I respect your privacy so your e-mail will not be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time by sending me an e-mail.

The 'My Fare List' Feature

2005-07-01T19:42:00.000-04:00

The 'My Fare List' feature is designed to help AirfareDig users keep track of the fares they've found and is a convenient substitute to writing down airfares on paper or trying to remember them. Use this feature when you've found a fare, or aren't quite ready to book and if you'd like to risk waiting for a cheaper fare. Then, you can look at your fare list to see what your original fare was.

This unique feature is found on featured AirfareDig city pages.

How to use it: Click 'Add a Fare' and type in the details of the fare you've found, such as the origin, destination, and price. For example, if you fancy reasonably priced fare from New York to Miami you might put 'JFK to Miami for $213' and click 'ok.' Return to the site the next day and discover I have found the same fare and it has changed to $198. Referring to your fare list you see that you discovered it at $213 yesterday, and it is now $15 cheaper. When you'd like to get rid of a listing, simply click 'delete.'

Just a simple, useful utility. However you choose to use it, it's up to you! Heck, use it as a to-do-list if you like.

Booking a Fare

2005-07-01T02:39:00.000-04:00

Booking a fare is easy, but can be a little complicated. Here's what to do:

In order to book a fare you’ve found on AirfareDig, it requires a brief visit to a site called http://www.cheapair.com/. This site provides a good availability calendar of a specific fare since you need to know what exact dates the fare I found is good on and the dates you would like to travel.
Once there, type in the origin and destination in the ‘leaving from’ and ‘going to’ boxes and check ‘my dates are flexible – I want the lowest fare. Do not type in specific or random dates!
Then, a list of fares will display. On the first and cheapest display, click ‘check flights.’ There is no need to enter the desired number of passengers.
A calendar will now display. The dates highlighted in green designate days that the fare is valid on.
If you don’t mind paying a $9.95 service fee with this fare and helping out AirfareDig’s sponsor (commission), go back and select the number of passengers and continue to book your flight on CheapAir.com
If you would like to avoid the $9.95 service fee (which only applies once instead of per person), write down the dates the fare is valid on and go to the website of the airline that the fare is for. If you don’t know it, search for it on Google.
Once on the airline’s website, type in the fare details, such as the exact dates that you found were valid and the origin and destination. Search.
The same price should appear. This time, without any service or booking fee. Continue to book.

If a link directs to an airline's website, that is your first and only stop. If a link directs to Travelocity, Orbitz, (and CheapAir.com), always use a flexible date search option! Then write down the fare price and details, and go to the website of the airline has the fare and input the details.

Need help? Please e-mail me.

User Agreement

2005-06-18T15:17:00.000-04:00

User Agreement will go here.

Privacy Policy

2005-06-18T15:15:00.000-04:00

Backround Image

2005-06-17T17:15:00.000-04:00

Article: Finding the Best Airfare: Hints/Tips/Tricks

2005-06-14T02:52:00.000-04:00

Sure, finding the ultimate airfare deal is difficult, right? Most of us know that scouting out the very best possible airfares to beat those outrageous prices can exhausting. Putting in hours and then days, and up to months of searching for that ideal bargain can be very grueling and unpleasant.

Thus, here are some essential guidelines you should consider when looking for inexpensive airfare:

Where to Look
The key word is ‘everywhere.’ But it’s easier than it sounds. With the help of a great tool called an "aggregator" you should never have to individually search multiple Internet travel sites. This free online tool, such as Mobissimo.com and Kayak.com, search nearly every airline and airfare website and display the best fare found for the particular route you requested in a single click. But the Internet doesn’t always have answers to the best fare - check the travel ads in the newspaper or talk to a travel agent. Sometimes an agent can access fares nobody else can and have what you are looking for. A future article will compare airfare aggregators.

If you've found a good fare on a major travel site such as Orbitz or Expedia, type in the same details on the website of the airline that operates the flights you've found. Often, it is a few bucks cheaper and there is no booking fee.

Sign up for Alerts
Have a particular fare you are searching for? Let Orbitz or Travelocity alert you when it becomes available. These free and timesaving services will allow you to designate an airfare that fits your budget on a specific route and they will immediately e-mail you once an airline has matched that fare. A brief sign-up is required. Or, try Southwest Airline’s “ding” fares. This service, also free of charge, will alert you of their low fares on your computer daily and must be booked fast. Install software at southwest.com/ding.

When to Travel
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are normally the cheapest days to fly, whereas Fridays and Sundays are often the most expensive. Late-night departures, or red-eye flights are also occasionally priced cheaper than daytime flights on a particular route.

Stay Saturday Night
A business traveler often wants to return home no later than a Friday night, and that person is usually willing to pay a higher fare for that privilege. On the other hand, tourists or casual travelers like yourself don’t want to pay as much and would consequently travel less. Therefore, airlines developed a smart way to sort out this matter by charging different fares to the same city called the “stay over Saturday night” concept. And since you are agreeing to stay over Saturday night, you must be a low-budget tourist and they charge you less as a result! Although recently, a few airlines have dropped this idea on routes to some cities, so don’t be afraid to disregard this idea.

Alternate Airports
Many large cities have multiple airports, therefore providing more fare options from your arrival and/or departure city. For example: A recent fare from Newark to Los Angeles costs $381 round-trip. Another fare costs $266 from New York Kennedy, which is 21 miles from Newark, to Long Beach, California, which is only 17 miles from Los Angeles. Sites such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity will tell you when a cheaper fare is found from a nearby city or airport or give you the option of including the search of alternate airports.

Buy Special Fares
Senior citizens, students, and children can receive discounts on airfare if a fare isn’t already discounted. Senior fare savings are rarely phenomenal, but the itineraries are not subject to as many restrictions as regular fares. To find them, you may want to inquire with the airline. Student airfares offer great bargains and are practical for students attending college or university. StudentUniverse.com and STAtravel.com are two leading examples as well as AirfareDig’s very own student airfare finds page. Children fares are available when traveling with an adult and can be ¾ of the regular fare. When booking, be sure to identify that you are traveling with a child in order to take advantage of any applicable fare.

Have a Flexible Schedule
I cannot stress this tip enough. With a flexible schedule and the more dates you have available for flying, the best fare options will open up. I highly recommend Travelocity’s flexible date search, which will show you the best current possible airfare for up to 330 days! Of course, you can narrow the search down to only a month. Another great site is FareFacts.com or Expedia’s Fare Compare which both use the same strategy.

Split-fare Strategy
This strategy is one of the best and least known ways to save on airfare thought of by airfare guru George Hobica. A person can book a round-trip flight from point A to B and then book another round-trip flight from point B to C. For example: A recent fare search for a round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Memphis cost about $400 on several carriers. First, I searched for fares from Los Angeles to Denver, and I discovered a $99 round-trip sale on American. Then I looked for deals from Denver to Memphis, and found $175 round-trip on United. The savings was a whopping $125. More about this strategy will be in a future article.

This article may not be republished or reproduced in anyway with the exception of personal use or under the written consent of the author. View Disclaimer

Disclaimer

2005-06-14T02:02:00.000-04:00

This article was written to educate and provide information only on the subject matter covered. The author shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person with respect to loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly by the information contained in this article. Although the author has made every effort to ensure that the information contained in this article is correct and current, the author does not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, or any potential travel disruption due to labor or financial difficulty, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

How to Contribute to AirfareDig

2005-06-10T01:15:00.000-04:00

Maintaining AirfareDig is not easy, and there are costs associated with it. Here are some of the expenses involved and how you can help AirfareDig stay around.

Promotion - Thanks to self-promotion through the press, I am able to exclude spending time having to market AirfareDig through advertising. Instead, AirfareDig is heard about through other unique ways including distributing printed business cards, pens, rubber bracelets, and various other items.
Costs - Hosting AirfareDig is free (for now), but other general costs associated with running the site include the domain name (airfaredig.com) service, and print materials such as printing and mailing press kits and letters regarding the site.
Future - Optimistically, AirfareDig will develop and have to progress with supportive enhancements and efficiency, and offer more to my patrons.
Labor - Eventually, I'd like to establish a small salary for myself. I am the one sole individual who operates AirfareDig, and scouting out fares and updating the site on a daily basis entails many hours.

Donate
Making a donation is one of the best ways you can contribute to AirfareDig. Donations I receive from generous individuals who appreciate my dedication to this site account for most of the funding needed to keep AirfareDig running. You can proceed to make a secure, online donation by clicking on the "Make a Donation" button on the right. (Note: online donations are transacted to my dad's business account, the Fergus Falls Fitness Centre.) Or you can send a check or money order in my name.

If you are uncertain about making a donation and have a question or comment, please e-mail me.

Affiliates
Another way to support AirfareDig is to book your flight through my affiliate links such as Travelocity, CheapAir, or Student Universe. These sites have a small booking fee, but will give me $2-4 commission for every reservation you make after clicking on the links I provide.

You can also click on the Google advertisements at the top of each post. These banners show relevant links that relate to finding cheap airfare. Additionally, this generates a very small commission.

Spread the Word
Finally, the most effective and easiest way to help me out is to tell everyone you know about AirfareDig - your friends, family, colleagues - everyone! Being a secretive, unknown, and valuable site, someone will appreciate you for sharing the wealth!

About AirfareDig

2005-06-05T02:13:00.000-04:00

Contact Mark
Questions? Comments? Or for any reason whatsoever, please do not hesitate to give me a shout -- I'd like to hear from you! Your interest and feedback keeps me fueled and helps AirfareDig stay alive!

For all inquiries, please e-mail: airfaredig@gmail.com
For professional inquiries or if you are a member of the media and need an immediate response (and don't mind long-distance charges!) please call: 218-739-3738 or fax: 505-212-1766.

About AirfareDig

Mark Becker, Age 15, AirfareDig creator:

In spite of my interest in aviation, airlines, and travel, the idea to create a blog dedicated to listing "this-must-be-a-mis-print" airfares was influenced by the increasing demand individuals has for finding the very best airfare bargains around. And, with my knowledge, I felt I would be able to satisfy that and would be a fun challenge to take up.

I almost immediately put myself to work and gradually pieced together AirfareDig during my spare time. During that time, I investigated as much as I could about airfares and literally became an airfare guru overnight.

AirfareDig became reality when it was launched in August of '05. As a sole founder, I continuously update AirfareDig myself and work off the interest and contributions from those like you.

For further information, you may elect to contact me with the information provided above.

Frequently Asked Questions

2005-06-05T01:46:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I've received regarding the airfares you see on AirfareDig. For all other matters, please contact me.

How do I book the fares I see on AirfareDig? It's easy, it's simple, and it's awesome! But to make sure you do it without any difficulty, I've created detailed instructions that can be found here.

What are some hints/tips for finding good airfare? Besides paying a frequent visit to AirfareDig of course, I have compiled a list of links and articles under 'features'.

How do I know what the rules and restrictions are for a fare? Generally, most fares are non-refundable, have a 1-3 minimum day (or Saturday night) stay, and a maximum stay of 30 days, with no stopovers permitted, and either have anywhere from 21 to 0 days for advance purchase. Sometimes I will mention if there is a significant restriction along with a fare, but otherwise you can find out once you proceed to book the fare or to find out more about it.

What is a 'stopover'? A stopover occurs when a passenger does not depart an intermediate point within 4 hours.

How long does a fare remain at it's current price? The fares I find and list on AirfareDig are often only available for the exact price for up to a day or even an hour. A particular fare can change up to twenty times throughout a day. And sometimes a fare can slightly increase or decrease the next day or have a substantial increase or decrease the next day.

When are fares updated? Popular cities on AirfareDig, such as New York and Los Angeles, can be updated up to half a dozen times a day. Although each city is updated at least once each day it depends on how much the fares are changing. To find out when a list of fares was last updated, check the date above the listing, and the time below the listing.

Why aren't all major U.S. cities listed on AirfareDig? First, that would be far to much work for me. Second, airports such as Minneapolis/St. Paul (which is largely dominated by Northwest Airlines) don't have a market for low fares. But when a good fare is found to a city not listed on AirfareDig, it is shown from the departure city on the cities that AirfareDig does host such as Dig Chicago, Dig New York, etc. and also listed in the 'nationwide report'.

Do the fares work in reverse? Yes, most domestic fares do work in reverse. (Ex.: A round-trip fare from to Chicago to Pittsburgh costs $118. Or, the same fare can apply from Pittsburgh to Chicago instead.) Although it can occur that a fare won't work in reverse sometimes, and you can find out once you proceed to book or find out the details. International fares rarely work in reverse.

Do the fares listed include tax or any additional fees? No. You can get the total price of a fare once you proceed to book or find out the details.

What is the purpose of 'My Fare List?' The 'My Fare List' feature is designed to help AirfareDig users keep track of the fares they've found and is a convenient substitute to writing down airfares on paper or trying to remember them. Learn more about it here.

How to Book a Fare

2005-06-05T00:44:00.000-04:00

Please select one of the following:

Discussion Forums

2005-06-01T03:13:00.000-04:00

http://members6.ravelly.com/airfaredig/" width="407" scrolling="no" height="575">http://members6.ravelly.com/airfaredig/" width="407" height="575">

I Don't See the Links

2005-06-01T02:38:00.000-04:00

More Later.

Your Donation was Unsuccessful

2005-05-22T19:00:00.000-04:00

If you believe you successfully transacted a donation, and received this page in error, please e-mail me and I will resolve the problem.

Are you hesitant about making a donation online toward AirfareDig? Using PayPal with your credit card is very secure. The amount you specify to donate is transacted straight to my (dad's) PayPal account. None of your credit card information is relayed to me or any other third party.

Or, if you prefer you may send a check or money order to myself at:

Mark Becker
102 North Lakeside Drive
Fergus Falls, MN
56537

Your contribution will help fund the many expenditures that are involved in maintaining AirfareDig. Some of these expenses include and will go toward:

Promotion - Thanks to self-promotion through the press, I am able to exclude spending time having to market AirfareDig through advertising. Instead, AirfareDig is heard about through other unique ways including distributing printed business cards, pens, rubber bracelets, and various other items.
Costs - Hosting AirfareDig is free (for now), but other general costs associated with running the site include the domain name (airfaredig.com) service, and print materials such as printing and mailing press kits and letters regarding the site.
Future - Optimistically, AirfareDig will develop and have to progress with supportive enhancements and efficiency, and offer more to my patrons.
Labor - Eventually, I'd like to establish a small salary for myself. I am the one sole individual who operates AirfareDig, and scouting out fares and updating the site on a daily basis entails many hours.

Your support is appreciated. If you have any questions, please e-mail me.

Sincerely,

Mark Becker

Thank You!

2005-05-22T16:52:00.000-04:00

Dear contributor,

Thank you for your donation to AirfareDig! It has been successfully received and I can assure you it will be wisely used to fund the many expenditures that are involved in maintaining AirfareDig. Some of these expenses include and will go toward:

Promotion - Thanks to self-promotion through the press, I am able to exclude spending time having to market AirfareDig through advertising. Instead, AirfareDig is heard about through other unique ways including distributing printed business cards, pens, rubber bracelets, and various other items.
Costs - Hosting AirfareDig is free (for now), but other general costs associated with running the site include the domain name (airfaredig.com) service, and print materials such as printing and mailing press kits and letters regarding the site.
Future - Optimistically, AirfareDig will develop and have to progress with supportive enhancements and efficiency, and offer more to my patrons.
Labor - Eventually, I'd like to establish a small salary for myself. I am the one sole individual who operates AirfareDig, and scouting out fares and updating the site on a daily basis entails many hours.

Other ways you can help AirfareDig include booking flights through my affiliates which include Travelocity, CheapAir, and Student Universe by clicking on the links provided. In return, I am paid with a $2-4 commission. You can also support the site by clicking on the advertisement links or by simply telling your friends, family or colleagues about AirfareDig.

Again, thanks for your interest and support. Folks like you keep me fueled and help keep AirfareDig alive!

Sincerely,

Mark Becker

Send an e-mail