When do I buy? Which airline? There is a lot out there about who, how, where, why, and when on air travel. Social media is full of travel bloggers (like me), and influencers, offering their expertise on how to get a first-class ticket for the price of economy, cheap tickets, lowest fares, deals and margins. And yes, there’s much to be gained by all of it. Here’s my advice: Find the ticket you can afford, buy it, and pack.

My rule of thumb is to book two months out prior to an international trip, and no sooner than four months. Sundays are generally a good day to travel internationally, while domestic is usually Tuesday or Thursday. Of course, this can vary and there are no guarantees. Pick the dates that meet your itinerary and give you the best deal. If you want to book early, book early. There is no hard and fast rule. Only tips.

TIP: When you are seriously looking to book, be prepared to purchase. Prices fluctuate minute to minute.

Point.me: Helps you find ways to use points & miles. This can be useful if you like to use your award miles to travel. You can connect all your airline point/miles with point.me via Award Wallet, a convenient tracker of all reward programs for airlines, hotels, rental cars, and more. The art of travel perks through points is to have a travel credit card(s) that give generous points for the money you spend using them. If you’re a loyal airline flyer, like me, get a branded points and miles card.

TIP: Get cards with low fee and no foreign transaction fees.

If you are a searcher, love the art of the deal, and don’t mind the stops, there are many sites that do the hard work so you don’t have too. There are two types of flight booking tools: Fare Aggregators and Booking Engines. Discover the differences and choose what’s right for you.

WayAway: This is a design by travelers for travelers fare aggregator site. It has tools that allow you to pick what you want included in your ticket. i.e. Bag fees, seats, etc. Its WayAway Plus Member Program even gives cash back within 90 days of trip completion. For all you need to know and to book a flight with WayAway, click here.

Momondo: A leading search engine that usually gets you the results that fit your planning and budget. Flights, cars, hotels, trains, buses, they aim to do it all. Based on your search they endeavor to combine points of travel like price, travel ratings, and comfort [how long and how many stops]. Click here to search this very user friendly and easily navigated site.

Skyscanner: A deep dive search engine that reaches out to numerous airlines and booking sites, and generally finds you the best deals on the market. Click here to check.

Travelocity: A trusted site connecting travelers with the world and used by such travel programs as “The Amazing Race.” A one stop shop for planning travel, offering a '“Wander Wisely” app to keep you in the know via your mobile device. Click here to get connected.