Airfares are rising sky-high in tandem with the rise in the price of gasoline. For example, a round trip ticket from LAX to Fort Lauderdale is 100-200% higher today than it was just a few months ago. This comes as no surprise to those of us spending upwards of $70 or $80 just to fill our gas tanks these days.

If you are like most Americans, you don’t want to stop traveling. You just want to become increasingly savvy about how to book the best available fares in this less than favorable economy.

If you are not used to booking online, then get thee to a computer, and start your search. The Internet is no less than the location du jour for slashing your cost of transportation, not to mention the escalating price of your hotels and rental vehicle.

A few well-established sites that deliver you cheaply to your location of choice include the following:

www.travelocity.com

www.orbitz.com

www.kayak.com

www.expedia.com

www.priceline.com

www.bestfares.com

www.travelzoo.com

You just have to decide how flexible you are willing to be in arriving at your destination, including date, time, and whether or not you are willing to make one stop or more on the way.

If none of these websites gives you what you are looking for, just Google “discount airfares” and, like magic, dozens upon dozens more options will appear at your disposal.

If you didn’t know already, you will soon find out that the further in advance you book your flight, the better deal you are likely to get. However, if you suddenly find yourself in need to fly to Seattle one weekend this month, you can take advantage of www.kayak.com’s weekend search, and by clicking on a link, you will find out which of the upcoming weekends this month you can travel for the least amount of money. Take time visiting each of these sites, and compare their respective features for figuring out how each of them can provide you with the best possible deal in terms of price, comfort, convenience, and safety.

And, bon voyage. Have the trip of your lifetime.