"Wanna get away?" Summer is the perfect time for students to visit their favorite vacation spots, whether the destination is local, domestic, or abroad. But how to avoid the jacked-up prices and recent obligatory baggage fee? The latter, I'm not so sure about, unless you make it a point not to fly American or United Airlines.

For starters, check out my favorite websites for finding flights:

• STA Travel: Find cheap fares at student rates!
• Kayak: Although many websites allow you to compare plane fares, I find Kayak to be the best.
• Farecast: Input your travel dates, and find out the best time to buy your ticket.
• AirTran U: Need a flight ASAP? AirTran U has the cheapest standby rates for students.
• Travelzoo: Sign up for Travelzoo's Weekly Top 20 alert to find the best deals.
• Airfare Watchdog: Tracks fares from your hometown airport to hundreds of destinations!

Next, keep these tips in mind when buying your plane ticket:

• Buy early! Rule #1 to booking your ticket. However, use Farecast to know if you're getting the best rate.
• Travel on weekdays. Airline sales are usually cheapest when you fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday rather than Saturday or Sunday.
• Be flexible -- with departure times, dates and destinations. Find cheap rates in Travelzoo's Top 20, or Airfare Watchdog's Top 50.
• Search during late nights and early mornings. For some reason, I find the best deals when everyone else is asleep.
• Fly cheaper airlines. I've seen good rates from Southwest & Airtran. Don't expect a discount if you fly anything but coach.
• Use your mileage. If you love to travel, I suggest joining the membership rewards program for your favorite airlines. It definitely pays off in the end.