Traveling by air is exciting and fun,but often can be expensive, especially in light of gas prices nowadays. I often hear people talk about finding really cheap airfare online, so I set out to see what I could find on the Internet. Here are 14 tips to help you find inexpensive airline tickets.

1. Purchase a package. Buy airplane tickets, hotel, and car rental together and often you can save when comparing individual prices.

2. Flying one way is great but also usually the most expensive. You can save money by opting for connecting flights.

3. Check neighboring cities. As an example, if you are planning on flying into Orlando, FL, look for prices for flights to Tampa instead. You might save a little on your fare and still not drive too far out of your way.

4. As long as you are not flying out of the country, try one of the smaller airlines and you will usually save on the purchase price this way.

5. If you've waited for the last minute, go online to the main website for the airlines and see if they have any discounted prices available for last-minute flights. Normally you will pay more at this time but occasionally the flight will not be filled and you may find yourself a great deal.

6. Be patient and wait for an excellent price to come up. But don't be too patient! If you see something great go ahead and snap it up. Always have in mind what your definition of a "great price" is so you'll be ready to grab it at a moment's notice. You never know when those awesome prices will show up.

7. You should try to be as flexible as possible with your travel dates. Adjusting your dates by just one day can result in a better fare.

8. Don't rely only on the online travel agencies. Also check the airline's main site. Sometimes you can save money this way because the agencies will often charge a fee when you go through them. Also as an added benefit, if you have any issues or problems, it's quicker and easier to correct when dealing with a live person rather than a website. Believe me, I speak from experience on this one!

9. You can find good prices at all different times but mornings can sometimes be an excellent time to browse for inexpensive airline tickets. And don't feel you have to stay over on a Saturday in order to get a better price. In the past this was thought to be helpful but not so much anymore.

10. Don't forget to sign up for frequent flyer miles. It's quite surprising how often people don't take advantage of this perk. Even if you fly different airlines, sign up for each airline's frequent flyer program. The miles add up faster than you realize.

11. This idea won't always work but is worth a try. If you are only wanting to fly one-way, check for round-trip prices too because there are times when it is actually cheaper to fly round-trip.

12. If you plan to fly on a holiday be sure to book your fares far in advance. You can get great savings by booking early but be sure of your itinerary because if you have to cancel or change your travel dates you'll likely end up forfeiting any savings you had made.

13. Make sure you always book your flights at least 3 weeks in advance.

14. Consider traveling on the so-called red eye flights. You can save a significant amount by flying overnight, sometimes as much as 30%. You'll miss out on seeing the scenery you might see during the day but you'll be more likely to snooze your way through the flight and time will go by faster.