How to Find Cheap Airfare for NBA All-Star Weekend

When you’re considering taking a trip to see a big sporting event, you’re probably prepared for the prices on airline tickets to be higher than usual. The airlines, after all, know a whole bunch of people are going to be buying tickets to the same place at roughly the same time – they’d be silly not to raise prices, right? That doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t still find a good deal – or at least not get stuck paying through the nose for airfare.

The 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend is no different than other big events in this regard, but because it’s in Orlando – home to a major airport – you stand a better chance of finding cheap airfare to the event. That’s just one of the things we’ll talk about in this article on getting cheap airfare to the NBA All-Star Weekend.

Of course, some of the tips in this article are things that could help you save money on airfare no matter where you’re going or when – but it’s especially important to look for money-saving tips when the airlines are already going to be raising prices.

Here are our best tips for finding cheap airfare to Orlando for the NBA All-Star Weekend.

>> The NBA All-Star Weekend in 2012 is February 24-27 in Orlando, Florida.

Use Alternate Airports for Orlando

Orlando is home to a major international airport but that’s not your only option.  In the interest of hunting down deals, it’s also a good idea to check on flights into other airports near Orlando – namely Tampa Airport, which is about 90 minutes from Orlando.

>> Read more about using alternate airports in the United States

Fly on Budget Airlines to Orlando

Since Los Angeles has several airports you can fly into, the number of budget airlines that serve Orlando is really good.

These budget airlines tend to be regional, so not every low-cost carrier in the United States is going to be a viable option for you. But it’s worth looking at the airlines that fly to Orlando to see if any of them also serve your home airport.

>> Read more about budget airlines in the United States

Book at the Cheapest Times

It may seem strange, but there are certain times of the day and days of the week that are – overall – cheaper than others when it comes to airline tickets. This varies a bit when you’re talking about a special event on a specific date, but generally speaking if you can book your flights at these times you’ll have better luck finding a good deal.

On the whole, the earliest flights in the morning are the cheapest ones (and it makes sense, since most people would prefer to be sleeping then!). And as for days of the week, Wednesdays tend to be cheapest, followed by Tuesdays and Saturdays. Even if you can’t fly out on a Wednesday or Tuesday for a weekend event, however, you can still set a super early alarm and get on a pre-dawn flight to get a better deal.

Be Flexible

This sort of goes along with booking trips at the cheapest times of the day or on the cheapest days of the week, but it really does help if your travel plans aren’t rigid. If you can be flexible with your departure or arrival dates and times, you at least open up the possibility of finding a cheaper price on an airline ticket than if you’re just looking at one day or a very small window of time.

Now, this is admittedly more difficult to do when you’re going to an event that’s got a set schedule – but if you can take a little more time off for your NBA All-Star Weekend getaway and fly out a day or two early (or come home a day or two late) then that’s a great way to expand your search capabilities to find a better deal.

Do the Math on Vacation Packages

Booking a vacation package makes life easy in so many ways. Everything’s combined into one bundle, and you don’t have to hunt down each individual piece of your travel needs. But unfortunately, not every vacation package that claims it’s a deal really is saving you money. Even more unfortunately, in order to figure out whether the package you’re looking at is a deal you’ll need to do the math.

Don’t worry, we’re not talking about complex algebra here – and we’re not even talking about comparing exact costs to the penny. We’re just saying that unless you break down a vacation package into its individual components and compare those prices with the prices you could find on your own, you won’t know if you’re paying too much for the package or paying for a bunch of extras you won’t use. Dig that calculator out of the junk drawer, people, you’ll be glad you did.

>> Read more about figuring out whether NBA All-Star Weekend vacation packages are a good deal

photo by Seth W.