Getting airfare to India is more difficult than it should be. Price can vary dramatically from airline to airline, from booking time to booking time and apparently the moon phase. Buying airline tickets can be maddening. Most people I have known just give up and go to a travel agent.

Added to the mix of complication is a whole bunch of misleading websites and tools that claim to make getting a cheap ticket easy. I have tried so many of these services and always been disappointed.

So here are my secrets. I will give you 2 methods to try with an interesting variation for the adventurous.

My Basic Method
I get a good price on tickets every time I go to India, so let me tell you how I do it. It does take a little work but it isn't hard.

Here is the secret. Use the Travelocity system. But wait that's not all. The Travelocity system connects you to massive amounts of flight information for a lot of airlines. That part is good. Type in the place you want to go and the date you want to travel and out pops a list of flights ranked by price.

It is possible that you will get a good price out of the system like that but it has never happened for me. I just tried San Francisco to Delhi for some randomly selected dates and I get prices starting $2000+. Way too high and on airlines that I do not like.

The secret is to select "flexible dates" even if your dates are not flexible. After you select a flight you can select the dates that you actually want. The point here is Travelocity will show you the best fares available for all airlines and dates. Once you are at the flight list, click "View More Fares" at the bottom of the page to see all of your options.

Now click through on the cheapest one and it will let you select flight dates. This is the part that requires work. The airlines have lots of rules governing what days and dates you can fly at the listed price. Don't try to figure the system out it is just too complex. Just try your dates (and any acceptable variations) and see if you can get a flight. If you can't make it work, click the back button and select the next flight in the list.

It generally doesn't take long to find something that will fit your dates. If you really cannot find anything, try again in a few days - things change all the time.

In my $2000+ example above - using this flexible dates method I now have a dozen acceptable flights ranging in price from $921 to $1500 or so. I just potentially saved over a $1000 for 5 minutes effort.

Go ahead and try it out. Here is the method again:

• Search for the exact dates you are interested in flying.
• Note the lowest price.
• Do a new search with "Flexible Dates".
• Click "View More Fares" at bottom of page.
• Click on cheapest flight listed and try dates.
• If you can't get the right dates, go to the next cheapest flight and try the dates for it.
• Keep going till you find a flight that works for you.

Click the logo to get started.

Not My Method
This has been recommended by several people I know and should know what they are talking about...

Basically you use Travelocity to find the lowest generally available fare then use

"Name Your Own Price" system. Once you have a low price from Travelocity use it to bid a little lower with "Name Your Own Price". If they can match your price you just saved some money. If they can't, well there was no risk in trying - go back and get your ticket from Travelocity.

An Adventurous Variation
One of the cheapest places to fly to in Asia is Bangkok Thailand. Bangkok is not only an amazingly interesting place to visit, it is also one of the best places in the world to buy cheap tickets!

The last 2 years I have gone to India via Bangkok and been glad to have done it. Tickets to Bangkok are not too expensive since it is a very popular travel destination. Once in Bangkok there are a lot of budget travel agents who can get tickets to India cheap and very quickly. When you buy your tickets in Bangkok the taxes and fees are a fraction of what they are in the US. Buying last minute is no trouble and in fact seems the norm.

Most of the cheaper travel agencies are located near Khao San road. I have used Charlie Connection and had very good luck. If you want to use them, just email them first to see about the most current flight prices and then wait till you are in Bangkok to get your ticket. Last time around I bought several tickets from them via email and it all worked out very smoothly but it was easier the time before just going into their tiny office.

You may or may not save a lot of money going to India through Thailand but it has several advantages in my mind.

• Bangkok offers a very nice buffer while transitioning from the West to the India. It is a very easy going place to wine and dine yourself and acclimate to a different way of life. Give yourself a few days on arrival to rest and explore and then a few more when you return from India to think over what just happened.
• 4 words: Shopping. Capitol. of. Asia.
• Increadible modern medical facilities. If you happen to get sick or need to see a doctor Bangkok has some of the best hospitals and clinics in the world. In case of emergency medical exit from India you already have a ticket to Bangkok. Some westerners even go to Bangkok to get treatments to save money and get better care.
• It is pretty cheap to stay in serious comfort.
• Traditional Thai massage! Thai massage is a very interesting experience that can help you relax and strengthen your body. It is an experience not to miss.
• Wild night life and clubs if that is your scene.

Ok... I can go on and on, but here are some facts and figures to put this all together.

• San Francisco to Delhi $1000-$1500
• San Francisco to Bangkok $600-$900
• Bangkok to Delhi $400 (other destinations in India cheaper)
• Current exchange rate is about 37 Thai Baht to the US Dollar (July 2006)

If you have an extra 4-7 days stopping in Bangkok is a great way to break up a loooong plane ride and see a fascinating Asian metropolis.