I travel at least once or twice a month to speak somewhere or attend a learning experience, and as a result, I’ve gone through a learning curve that I would like to share with you.

You may or not be familiar with Farecast.com, but it’s a Web 2.0 site that allows you to find the best deals on flights, and the best time to purchase them.

So if you know you’re going to fly somewhere many months from now, there is a “sweet spot” in the timing of your purchase. If you purchase too far ahead, your fare will actually be HIGHER than if you purchase in the sweet spot. This timing feature only works for the upcoming three months though. However, you can use Farecast to help you figure out when the best time to purchase your ticket will be.

The best part is that this really amazing technology is absolutely FREE.

Another GREAT thing about their site is they just introduced a beta version for hotels that is, by far, the best site out there to find great deals on hotels. Pricing is FAR better than Travelocity, Expedia, or Priceline. I have no idea of how they do it or what their business model is. Makes no sense to me, but it doesn’t matter; it is an absolutely terrific free service.

Farecast.com