Getting cheap airline tickets doesn't always happen by searching for them on the mega sites, i.e., Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline, etc., sometimes you have to get a little creative to get cheap airline tickets. You have to use cheap airline ticket tricks to get the best prices on cheap airline tickets, but I can assure you that these "tricks" are easy to apply and only require a little extra time on your part but these tactics could mean the difference between you overpaying for airline tickets or getting some amazing deals on airline tickets.

Cheap Airline Tickets Via Nearby Airports A.K.A. Hubs

A "hub" is basically where an airline's home base and head quarters are located. Most domestic airlines operate out of hubs. The worst deals on airline tickets are to be had by using the flights associated with these hub locations, because they tend to hold a monopoly on incoming and outgoing flights.

If taking the plane from your airport gives your flight an extra stop at a nearby hub, for instance Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles or New York, it will save you approximately 40% of the airfare if you take a bus or drive to the hub airport instead (do the math to see if it's worth it though).

Owning a monopoly on a particular territory pretty much means that due to lack of competition prices can be set higher than other carriers. So if you want to fly from JFK to Chicago, for example, avoid Southwest Airlines. Alternatively, it would be advisable to use another airline that is on route to another destination and is stopping in Chicago for connections.

If you want to fly to Las Vegas, for instance, because of it's popularity, most domestic flights will take you there pretty cheaply. However, watch out! Some of those airlines will have you sitting at their hubs for hours and this is where your time, over price becomes more or less cost effective for you. You can fly cheaply, later or earlier in the day and use the money saved there to offset the price of a direct flight.

For international travel, as an example, Toronto to Sydney is usually a $3500 return flight. However, by utilizing Manchester Airport as a hub, it is possible to pay $200 from Toronto to Manchester including return flight, and $595 return from Manchester to Sydney. That's well over $2500 in savings by taking a European stop-over instead of a direct flight, but expect up to an 8 hour layover.

Cheap Airline Tickets Via Split Airline Tickets

Let's say you travel from Boston to Dallas. It may be cheaper to get two separate tickets. You could buy one ticket from Boston to Nashville and one from Nashville to Dallas. It all depends on the connecting cities and your airlines hubs. Just be willing to travel out of other airports and connect using regional airports to save money.

Cheap Airline Tickets Via Illegal Connections

Very similar to split airline tickets, "illegal connections" refer to connecting flights that are less than 45 minutes apart. Airlines don't offer them because there's not enough time between connections to be safe. However, people who want cheap airline tickets use this method to shorten layover times and possibly save on fares by booking two separate flights.

The first flight gets you from City A to City B; the second flight gets you from City B to City C. This technique can also be used with two different airlines. Since there's not a whole lot of time between flights, it is advised to pack carry-on luggage only, and always allow yourself at least 20 minutes to check in for the new flight. If, for some reason the illegal connection is missed, you can get on the next available flight. This tactic can save you time and money.