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I imagine that not too many people call up an airline directly to make a reservation any more, especially if they’re cost conscious. With options like cFares.com to help them find the most affordable tickets online, it’s really in their best interest when looking for a cheap flight.

cFares.com is an airfare search engine that compares prices from airlines, industry wholesalers, and major travel sites. They’re different because they offer exclusive travel deals that are below-market prices.

Two types of membership are offered: Gold (which is free) and Platinum (which is $50 per year). The Gold plan allows you to see what your rate would be along with what a Platinum member would see. The incentive, of course, is to get you to upgrade, which at $50 a year is not bad, especially if you travel a lot. I’d even say that the savings you’d get with your first purchase or two would more than cover the membership fee.

Their abilty to provide great fares has caused them to be referred to as a “Costco for fares”. The search panel on the left of their site gives you the ability to compare results from three major travel sites: Orbitz, Hotwire, or Cheapoair.

Selecting at least two of these sites will show you the results side-by-side in their own browser windows. Then you can take a look at cFares to see what they have to offer you.

My results showed CheapoAir as having the lower prices, BUT they were for airlines I don’t think I’d feel comfortable flying on anyway. And the prices that cFares offered were still cheaper than HotWire, even as a Gold (free) member.

I read one of the FAQs and was delighted to see that they’re honest. When asked if they will always have the cheapest fares, they state that no one can make that guarantee.

cFares.com is something I’ll be looking into the next time I make travel plans. Give them a try and see what I mean.