1. Look at historical data. Several Web sites can indicate whether fares between specific markets are heading up or down. They can also alert you to unusually low fares. For example, Farecast, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2008, tracks fares from nearly 100 domestic cities to domestic and international destinations; plug in your departure and arrival for most major cities at http://www.farecast.com, and the site not only makes a prediction but also indicates how sure it is of that prediction. Another good fare-trending site is http://www.farecompare.com.
2. Check with an aggregator. Booking aggregators -- including http://www.kayak.com, http://www.mobissimo.com, http://www.bookingbuddy.com, http://www.farechase.com, http://www.yapta.com and http://www.cheapflights.com -- scan numerous booking sites and cull the results. Most also display hotels and car rentals.
3. Go to an all-purpose travel site. The big three (http://www.orbitz.com, http://www.expedia.com and http://www.travelocity.com) remain dominant; all display fares from competing airlines, plus you can book your flight, hotel and car in one spot. The sites charge a booking fee of $5 to $20. Vayama (http://www.vayama.com) offers international fares.
4. Sign up for instant alerts. Web sites such as http://www.travelocity.com, http://www.kayak.com, http://www.farecast.com and http://www.orbitz.com offer customizable fare-alert services. Download such features as Southwest Airlines' Ding (http://www.southwest.com), Orbitz's Insider Deals (http://desktop.orbitz.com) and Expedia's Fare Alert (http://www.expediaguides.com/farealert), which provide instant fare notifications.
5. Look at airline and airport sites. Go to airline sites to see whether they can match the lowest fare you've found. You sometimes can get extra frequent-flier miles for booking directly, and you'll avoid service fees.
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