Airfares Increase Today! How You Can Offset The Increase?

Airfares on several major US airlines increased today, led by Southwest Airlines. United, American and Jet Blue quickly followed suit. Because these airlines account for such a large percentage of flights within the US, other airlines are likely to raise fares in the near future. This will be the fifth major airfare increase this year.
So what can you do to offset these increases the next time you fly?  Well, booking as much in advance as possible is a good idea, since no one is suggesting that fares are going down, instead of up, anytime soon. Booking early (like now) may help you avoid further increases in the near future.  Also, look for deals on individual airline websites, and discount codes on their Facebook and Twitter pages.  Although their contracts with online booking agencies like Orbitz, etc. do not allow them to present lower fares on their websites, many airlines offer special promotions and other perks like earning more frequent flier miles, more choices in seating, etc. for flights booked from their websites.