Airline tickets can be expensive no matter how you look at it. You might as well explore every option available to see if you can get some good airline ticket deals. There are many ways to go about getting airline ticket deals that are pretty obvious like websites but there are also some ways that people tend to forget about like using travel agents.
Websites are the easiest way to find a good airline ticket deal. There are hundreds to choose from with their own unique way of giving you the best deal available. Some of these websites might give you a long list of various airlines that meet your date and departure requirements while some will allow you to make an offer. If you make an offer, always start low and increase in $35-$50 increments until your offer is accepted. If you go lower than that, you might miss your preferred departure date. Clear your cookies between visiting the various sites or they will know what your previous offers were and may not give you anything lower.
Believe it or not, travel agents still exist. There aren't as many as there were a decade ago but they have a distinct advantage that websites may not have. They have been in the business for a long time and often have very close relationships with certain airlines. They usually don't charge you any type of fee so it never hurts to give them a shot. They often know the market well and can predict when certain airline tickets are apt to be on sale or at a good discount.