Write an article based on this "Identify any perks and rewards you have. Know the cheapest times to fly. Start by looking on travel search sites. Look at package deals. Avoid certain nonstop flights and most round-trip tickets. Look at neighboring cities. Watch the fares."
First, if you fly frequently on one airline, look at how many frequent flyer miles you've accumulated. Next, call your credit card companies and see what travel perks your specific cards have or if any are available to you. You may already have free points toward travel. Another consideration, taken with care, is to sign up for a travel-related credit card through either a financial institution or an airline. They often give new members thousands of air points upon signing. Some allow you to add multiple users, avoid currency transaction fees and luggage fees. All U.S. airlines, for example, offer a travel-related credit card that gives you 30,000-50,000 bonus miles upon signing and making one purchase, which is one ticket right there. Knowing when to fly can you save you hundreds of dollars on one ticket, thousands for a family. If you can avoid it, don't travel during the holidays or Spring Break because ticket prices will be very high even when booked in advance. If you are planning a vacation over Thanksgiving or Christmas, fly on Thanksgiving day and in the early morning and late evening on Christmas. In general, tickets are cheaper if you fly midweek, on a Tuesday or Wednesday, or on a Saturday. You also want to fly in the early morning or late evenings. Saturday are less expensive because businessmen, who account for a lot of air travel, want to be home before Saturday to spend time with their families on the weekends. Buying tickets directly from airlines is almost always more expensive than using airline search sites like Priceline.com, Kayak.com and Expedia.com. These sites scour hundreds of sources and airlines to find good rates. Because you've chosen a 2-week window, start plugging in dates. Most sites will allow you to select an option for them to check flights a few days prior to and after the date you enter. Whichbudget.com is a great site to get affordable, international flights because it accesses local, budget airlines you had no clue existed. Here are some additional points. If your international vacation includes at least two countries, and you have to change planes in one of these countries, check with the airline to see if you can stay a few days before changing planes. Sometimes they'll let you do it, and you'll save a heap of money. Don't forget to ask about age, student and other discounts that may be available. Make sure you factor in luggage. Find out how many bags each person can check for free, if any. How much does each bag and/or each additional bag cost? What about oversized luggage? Each airline will have a different policy. Luggage fees can add up fast. While on these sites, also check out the flight and hotel package deals. Sometimes you can even haggle and bid on prices. There are a few downsides, though: a) you may not always know which hotel you might get, b) renting rooms separately by using discounts and special deals found elsewhere might be cheaper and c) a hotel might not be the best option in the first place. Buying the package might be easier, but it might not be cheaper nor the most suitable option for your needs. Nonstop flights are much more expensive in almost every case. While connecting flights can be a hassle, they can save you a lot of money. Also, round-trip tickets are almost always more expensive than buying two low-priced, one-way tickets one to get you there and one to get you back. However, Kayak.com has a feature called "Hacker Fares" that pieces together a round-trip ticket from one-way flights on multiple airlines. They aren't available for all trips, but you should definitely look. Many sites also have an option that allows you to select neighboring airports to fly from or into, which can drastically reduce the cost of your flight. For instance, if you're going to NYC but the fare is awfully high, check out the Newark, N.J., airport next door. In many cases, it won't increase your cost of getting to your lodging by much, if anything, especially if you're already planning to rent a car. Many airports will also have shuttles. You can check the neighboring airports yourself, too. Do an online search similar to "airports in southern California" or "airports near Orlando, Florida/central Florida." Consider starting your flight at a regional airport. Many cheaper airlines (some you've never heard of) service these airports. While getting to them may not be as convenient, you can save a lot of money. Another option is to drive to your first connecting flight and park in long-term parking. If, for instance, the first leg of your trip is a one-hour flight that costs you $200 per ticket and you can drive to that location in two hours, seriously consider driving, especially if this is a family vacation. Continue to look for the best deals through the major search sites. But also look for deals elsewhere. Airfarewatchdog.com sends out alerts when airlines post sales. Sign up for your favorite travel companies' email notifications, "like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to get promotion codes and specials that are only announced through these channels. Also, once you've booked your flight, use Yapta.com to track price changes on 9 of the major carriers. Many will refund you the difference or give you a travel credit if they're undersold.