Travel can be a lifesaver. The right vacation at the right time can revitalize your whole year, not to mention your body and mind. But in today's economy with airlines adding new fees almost daily and ticket prices sharply on the rise, many have written off travel as too expensive. However, with a few savvy tricks and a little research, there are still lots of great deals to be had on airline tickets and more.

Early Bird Gets the Deal. Travel experts say that there are certain times of day when more deals are available. Airfares can change three times a day as airlines adjust their prices to fill up flights. Early morning is when the fares tend to be lowest, but it is a good idea to check every five hours to track prices as they change throughout the day. Also, it's a good idea to check again at 5 PM when the airlines are trying hardest to fill empty seats.

What Wouldn't a Business traveler do? Flying when business travelers don't can save you a bundle. Most business travelers fly on Mondays and Fridays, so Tuesday and Wednesday are the best days. Airlines will usually lower their prices on these days to aggressively try and fill empty seats.

Avoid the Crowds. Fly to popular places at unpopular times. The slowest time of the year for travel is in the Fall between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. Again, to try and fill more vacant seats, the airlines will lower prices and offer better deals to get people to fly during this time of the year.

Right place, "wrong" time? By flying to popular destinations at unpopular times, you can secure the best prices from travel companies and airlines. Here's where flexibility in your planning can pay off. Going to the airline websites and planning your vacation around the best ticket prices offered can result in a fun, cost-effective vacation and maybe widen your horizons to a place you might never have considered before.

Package Deals Many times the best deals on airfare can be found as part of a package rate. Most travel sites have package rates available and they are definitely worth a look. Often times, the entire package (hotel, airfare, rental car) is cheaper than just the plane ticket on another site. Even if you don't need the rental car, with the money you saved on the flight, you can afford to not pick it up. These deals are especially good on last minute bookings.

With a little inside knowledge and some good timing, you can get yourself a steal on a ticket to the vacation you thought was out of reach.