The airlines dislike having a plane taxing down the runway with seats unoccupied by paying customers. The airlines have fixed costs to cover on every flight and they have the best chance of making a profit when all the seats have been sold, even if some were filled by offering discount airline tickets. This very fact is what motivates the airlines to make discount airfares available, so they can turn a profit and gain new customers at the same time.

Discounted flights are most often found through either travel agencies, which are also eager to gain more new clients and will work hard to find cheap fares for them, or through the reservation system of the airline itself. In fact, some of the airlines offer discounted ticket prices that are only available directly through them on their website. These are often referred to as “web only” discount tickets.

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