A relatively new phenomenon in the online world of flight finding is the method of using a flight auction site.

A flight auction site is basically defined as a site that auctions off its available offers to the person who offers the highest price. The way it works is that an individual who is interested in this type of offer will put in a bid as to what he/she is willing to pay for a particular air flight. If your bid is accepted you will end up with the flight.

There is a high likelihood that the price you will end up with could be considerably cheaper than a conventional ticket to the same destination. However, there are some downsides as outlined below.

• Typically, you can only specify the destination you wish to travel to and the desired departure and arrival dates. Things such as the preferred airline and the time of departure are usually out of your control.

• Ludicrously low bids are not advised as they are seldom successful. This is due to the airlines' desire to make as much money as possible. Settle on a realistic offer that you are comfortable with making and then submit your bid. Ultimately, you have nothing to lose.

• The flights on offer tend to be those less than desirable to the general public – hence the need to auction them off. Don't be surprised if such flights come with strict terms and conditions, Limited legroom, baggage restrictions and difficulty with refunds. The above factors are usually disclosed by the flight provider before you actually commit, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

If you are willing to encounter the potential negatives then this is an excellent source of finding cheap flights for those on a tight budget. Listed below are the most reliable flight auction sites.

Popular Flight Auction sites:

Priceline

Skyauction

SpareFare

In conclusion

Flight auction sites have the potential of saving you a remarkable amount of money on your next airline ticket, so check out the sites above and hopefully end up saving some hard-earned cash. Each site has its own terms and condition, methods of booking and rating methods. Please read each site's policies carefully before engaging in any deal.

Note: We recommend comparing any flight quotes you receive against prices obtained from our website. This is because we search 500 major travel sites via 10 of the most powerful flight comparison sites online.