Any recommendations for the best internet site to visit for the cheapest airfare (domestic)? I'll be traveling the last week in January Portland, ME to Miami, FL and really need the lowest fare possible and there are so many sites to choose from. Thank you for your suggestions and Happy Thanksgiving!

If there was a consistantly one best site, don't you think the others would be out of business by now?

Depending on many different factors, all the major sites have some better deals than the others on occasion, and to really confuse the mix, the individual airline sites tend to do better most times, if for no other reason, they don't charge the service charge.

The major players are:
www.orbitz.com
www.travelocity.com
www.expedia.com
www.cheaptickets.com
www.sidestep.com
All the major airlines +
www.southwest.com - you could only price Southwest on their own site.

Have fun

Agree with AAFF - if you really want to get the lowest possible fare you'll need to check out several sites. Some will also let you set up an email alert for airport pairs by which you get an email when a special fare is offered for that route.

The airline sites often have a lower fare. Even when they don't, they offer other incentives such as bonus FF miles.

Keith

Amen, Keith. It's important to look at the entire picture when pricing airfares, including scheduling, service and yes, FF miles. I helped somebody find a low-cost fare from the midwest to Florida in which she picked up more FF miles than on a previous trip to Europe. In addition to THAT bargain, all those bonus miles enabled two future tickets to be purchased for very low fares under subsequent promotions and the savings added up to hundreds of dollars. It's important to look at all the angles, to know what a good fare should look like and then to pull the trigger when it comes your way. Right now, there are fares for under $300 with a Saturday night stay from Portland, ME to Miami in late January. That's not just too bad...

http://www.itasoftware.com
This does not let you book directly, but you can use it to see what is available on most (but not all) airlines. Once you see the routing and price you want, go and try to find it on one of the web sites. Also consider if you would be willing to travel from any alternate airports, and how much less the price would have to be to make an alternate airport worthwhile.

site59.com is a strong contender for cheapest. They specialize in last minute airfares, which limits their utility, but they are generally the cheapest option available.

WillTravel,

Wow!!! What a great site!

Linda