The travel industry is very complicated and dynamic despite many catch-all online services claiming to provide one-stop comparison shopping. Air travel prices fluctuate like the weather and thus can be very hard to predict at any time. Market forces drive costs all over the map.

However there are a few infallible (almost) laws to travel that will help you find some of the most affordable deals around.

1. Don't always try to go direct. If you take a route that involves 2 or more flights that is almost certainly going to be cheaper than taking a direct flight to your destination. It's your call whether you are willing to live with the tradeoffs, i.e. spending longer amount of time traveling.

2. Domestic flights are generally more affordable than international ones, and thus you can save money if you can adjust your routes to start with domestic flights as much as possible.

3. Usually the hot spots you visit are targeted towards tourists, which means that they will at every turn try to profit from you anywhere they can, from marking up prices on common food items and souvenirs, and offering other pricey amenities. In general, you can simply go to a local supermarket to buy food and water at much deeper discounted prices, than if you were to shop in the tourist hot spots. This can add up to be a huge money saver.

Those are just a few tips to have you save heaps of cash for other important things in your personal life. Or perhaps you can use the savings to get more mileage out of your trips. The choice is yours!