Get the Best Bang for Your Buck This Summer Travel Season [AUDIO]

If you're planning to fly this summer travel season, don't expect relief from the high gas prices. Airfares are already soaring and are only expected to go higher over the next few months.

The same $100-plus price tag on a barrel of crude is also pushing up the price of jet fuel, forcing airlines to increase ticket prices across the board. How can you combat the high fares?

"It's all a game about knowing which days of the week to travel, knowing which airlines are offering the sales. Eighty percent of the sales in America start up on a Tuesday and run through Thursday," said Tom Parsons, CEO of bestfares.com. "Wait until four or five o'clock that Tuesday, let all the other airlines match whoever is running what sales and then you strike. Friday and Sunday will be the most expensive days to travel this summer."

Parsons is advising travelers to watch fares closely and pay attention. "Look into the window from April 9 through early June. There should be a break in fares then. If you're planning to travel to Europe, the best time will be after the Olympics close on August 12. Fares will fall for travel abroad at that point."

"Don't necessarily try to look for a summer deal right now. Wait it out. Check out fares on a Tuesday or Wednesday about 30 days before. Keep an eye on it. If you think it could possibly go down, wait it out a little bit," said Parsons.

There also are alternatives to consider. "If you're a family of four heading somewhere like Florida, you can probably get airfare for one hundred dollars a piece, rent a car for a little more than one hundred dollars and drive anywhere from there. Many rental car companies offer great deals if you're planning to drive the cars out of state. It's a great way for a family of four to have a nice vacation for under six hundred dollars," said Parsons.

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