If you haven't finalized your travel plans for the summer, don't get discouraged if your late search for deals yields airfares that are sky high.

Instead, find ways to qualify for lower airfares even if you plan on traveling in less than a month. The key is to be flexible especially with airlines running leaner, said Tom Parsons, founder of BestFares.com.

"We've been spoiled since Sept. 11" when airfares plunged as people stayed home, Parsons said.

Beyond visiting online sites, check with travel agents who can help you find airfare deals you may not be able to find yourself.

"Flexibility and planning ahead are key," said Rachel Shimamoto, vice president of Travel Ways.

Airlines have been more actively managing the number of seats available on their flights, cutting back on capacity if necessary to prop up prices, he said.

The number of airline seats to Hawai'i fell by 4 percent in May from 686,967 a year ago to 660,158, according to the latest data available from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. It's the first year-over-year decline since June 2002. O'ahu took the brunt of it, showing the only decrease among the counties.

With fewer seats, airlines don't feel as compelled to offer sales. As such, travelers need to be savvy to beat the airlines at their game. So whether you look for discounts online, in the paper or through a travel agent, there are ways to find deals.

Interisland flights

Because airline coupons have all but disappeared for interisland flights, getting an air, hotel and car package usually gives you a better deal than booking separately, said Danny Casey, president of the American Society of Travel Agents, Hawai'i.

If you just want to visit relatives or old friends on another island, and don't need a hotel room or car rental, push back your travel plans by a few weeks to get a better airfare. For example, Aloha Airlines is offering fares of as low as $59 one-way between Aug. 18 and Nov. 16.

Traveling on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays generally are less expensive than Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Casey said. If you can, avoid traveling around holidays since prices are jacked up.

Mainland fares

Consider flying into a different airport as well, Parsons said.

Flying into Denver from Honolulu in mid-August would cost $827 round trip flying Hawaiian Airlines and America West, according to Expedia.com. But if you choose Colorado Springs, Colo., instead, your fare drops to $600 on United Airlines. Denver is about 70 miles from Colorado Springs.

Even if summer fares are running high, airlines may slash prices temporarily, Casey said.

"They could drop prices for a short period of time if they need cash or there's less demand," he said. "But you have to buy within a short window (of time)."

Find a good travel agent who will keep track of fares for you, Casey said. Even if you've paid for the airfare or the vacation, if a lower fare comes out, the agent may be able to give you the difference in a voucher good towards future travel.

Don't be shy about getting quotes from different agents to get the best price. Compare them to deals you find online at sites such as Orbitz.com, Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, CheapTickets.com, Lowestfare.com and Yahoo.com. For last-minute deals, try LastMinuteTravel.com or 11thHourVacations.com.

Keep looking

Get the best airfare and cross-check the price with the airline's Web site. For example, the lowest price between Atlanta and Chicago was $316 on Delta and AirTran at the above sites, according to Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine.

But they missed a $157 roundtrip found on AirTran's Web site.

Sign up for airfare deals to be e-mailed to you by the airlines, so you can jump on a sale right away. Usually, major carriers will e-mail you weekly on bargains. Sign up at the airlines' Web sites.

Consider taking foreign airlines. Many of the online sites don't access fares offered by these carriers.

If you're backpacking within Europe, try European regional carrier Ryanair.com.

At present, the carrier is offering a $100 roundtrip fare between London and Dublin, Ireland, departing on July 30 and returning Aug. 15. On Expedia.com, the least expensive fare was $208 for the same destination and schedule, flying on British Airways.

Students only

If you're young or a student, there are special deals for you. Students or those 25 and younger can get special discounted fares at STA Travel (www.statravel.com). Another site to try: StudentUniverse.com.

If you don't mind, consider changing your vacation plans to locales that are on sale, said Shimamoto of Travel Ways. There are summer bargains to Europe, because of the war with Iraq and turmoil in the Middle East, she said. Middle East-bound travelers often pass through Europe.

In general, domestic airfares are maintaining their price levels better than international fares, Parsons said. That's because people may want to vacation within the country instead of abroad because of recent turmoil internationally, such as SARS and resentment against Americans for the war with Iraq.

For instance, Hawai'i residents usually have to pay at least $400 to go to the Mainland. But once there, they could see plenty of bargains.

Roundtrip to Mexico from Los Angeles could be had for about $200, Parson said. Meanwhile, traveling from the East Coast to the Caribbean costs $200 to $300.