I search airlines directly, then see if I can get a cheaper price on Travelocity or Orbitz or Expedia. But, now they are all the same. So if you do not care about how much you want to spend and where you want to sit or if you want to sit together if you have a travel partner, then I would use the "betting" sites, like Cheaptickets, Hotwire or Priceline. And remember to "low ball", as for the most impossibly low price. If you want to go to LA to NY, ask for $100. If they accept it, and they most likely won't, then that is what you pay + tax which is $50 - $75--so you'll pay $175 round trip to LA to NY. And they charge your card automatically. Let us know if you get a $100 tix from LA to NY, though...
