Hipmunk.com has joined the ranks of popular airfare search engines

Most users of the internet make use of Momondo, Airfarewatchdog, CheapOair or a dozen other popular search engines to find the least expensive ticket for their next flight. Of these, Momondo has been frequently cited — as it is on Frommers.com — as having an outstanding record in coming up with the most frequent air bargains.

A Danish firm headquartered in Copenhagen, Momondo claims that it is just as effective in finding low-priced U.S. air tickets as its U.S.-based competitors.

But I also recently have become familiar with the airfare prowess of a website called Hipmunk.com, and urge its use by cost-conscious travellers.

Like most of the others, it maintains an easily-understood pattern of disclosure that is impressive indeed. And its personnel is often available to make predictions of fares that will come down in the future.

That ability is especially important for Americans wanting advice on when they should purchase airline tickets for use during holiday periods like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.

On the radio program “The Frommer’s Travel Show,” we recently interviewed Adam Goldstein, the CEO of Hipmunk, as to when bargain-seekers could obtain the lowest airfares for travel during those traffic-heavy periods. Goldstein’s forecast? For Thanksgiving flights, purchase your tickets during the first week of October. They will sharply rise in price after that time, he said. For Christmas and/or New Year’s flights, he continued, purchase your tickets during the week beginning Oct. 15. Do not wait longer than that, he cautioned. Perhaps you, too, will become accustomed to using Hipmunk along with Momondo.