Airfare and associated expenses can be one of the most expensive items on your trip budget. Knowing when and where to find the best price on your tickets can have a major impact on your trip and additional spending budget. Fortunately, there are many sites available on the net to help you find the best prices.
Have Flexible Travel Dates
When booking flights, having specific days in mind often leads to high air ticket prices. However, if you have a range of dates, this can lead to greater savings. The greater your range, the greater your savings. Flight prices can vary significantly depending on the day, month and hour of travel. Also, keep in mind that peak season means higher prices and fewer options. Airlines know that people are traveling and they know that the maximum value of the seat can be obtained. During peak season, they are not interested in providing deals and “competing” as they understand there are plenty of travelers that need a ride to their final destination. In regard to holidays in the U.S., Easter, Christmas, and the time around New Years are usually the big holidays to avoid. However, if you are willing to forego a Thanksgiving dinner with family, we have found that booking international travel for departure on Thanksgiving Day can often yield good savings. Booking domestic travel during this time however is usually quite expensive.
Have Flexible Travel Dates
When booking flights, having specific days in mind often leads to high air ticket prices. However, if you have a range of dates, this can lead to greater savings. The greater your range, the greater your savings. Flight prices can vary significantly depending on the day, month and hour of travel. Also, keep in mind that peak season means higher prices and fewer options. Airlines know that people are traveling and they know that the maximum value of the seat can be obtained. During peak season, they are not interested in providing deals and “competing” as they understand there are plenty of travelers that need a ride to their final destination. In regard to holidays in the U.S., Easter, Christmas, and the time around New Years are usually the big holidays to avoid. However, if you are willing to forego a Thanksgiving dinner with family, we have found that booking international travel for departure on Thanksgiving Day can often yield good savings. Booking domestic travel during this time however is usually quite expensive.
Finding the Best Deal
Knowing where to look is only one factor in finding the best price on an airline ticket. Often ticket prices can climb as much as $300 dollars or more in a day depending on when and where you are going. At the same time, they can drop just as much. In my experience, typically, Tuesday at noon is the best time to purchase as many airlines announce their latest and greatest deals on Monday evenings. Often by noon on a Tuesday, competing airlines are trying to match those deals with deals of their own. (In my experience I noticed from Sunday to Tuesday are best prices) By the end of the week when Friday and Saturday arrive, ticket prices are usually at their highest asking price and gets worse as you get closer to your travel date. This is not always the case, but often a good rule of thumb.
The best method of testing this is to try different dates. See which combination of days works best. For example, leaving on a Thursday and returning on a Tuesday could yield hundreds of dollars in savings as compared to leaving on a Friday and returning on a Sunday.
When searching for tickets, it is best to start looking at tickets 1-2 weeks in advance of a purchase (not travel). By doing this, you are able to see price fluctuations and understand how variable the price is for that particular route across the airlines that meet your criteria for specific days and times. Being flexible is often key to finding the best price.
Top Tips
Again, in our experiences, the best day of the week to buy flights is a Tuesday. Apparently, this is due to airlines announcing deals on Monday evenings. By Tuesday at noon, other airlines are trying to match those deals. We do however suggest that you check other days as flight prices fluctuate on a regular basis.
Knowing where to look is only one factor in finding the best price on an airline ticket. Often ticket prices can climb as much as $300 dollars or more in a day depending on when and where you are going. At the same time, they can drop just as much. In my experience, typically, Tuesday at noon is the best time to purchase as many airlines announce their latest and greatest deals on Monday evenings. Often by noon on a Tuesday, competing airlines are trying to match those deals with deals of their own. (In my experience I noticed from Sunday to Tuesday are best prices) By the end of the week when Friday and Saturday arrive, ticket prices are usually at their highest asking price and gets worse as you get closer to your travel date. This is not always the case, but often a good rule of thumb.
The best method of testing this is to try different dates. See which combination of days works best. For example, leaving on a Thursday and returning on a Tuesday could yield hundreds of dollars in savings as compared to leaving on a Friday and returning on a Sunday.
When searching for tickets, it is best to start looking at tickets 1-2 weeks in advance of a purchase (not travel). By doing this, you are able to see price fluctuations and understand how variable the price is for that particular route across the airlines that meet your criteria for specific days and times. Being flexible is often key to finding the best price.
Top Tips
- Book at least 3 to 4 months in advance for international flights
- Price does not always mean best deal. Research airlines to determine their quality ratings, on time departure rankings, etc. Choosing the “cheap” airline could spell trip disaster.
- Also be informed about visa requirements for the country you are visiting. For most countries your (USA) Passport is enough to visit for a short period of time, but there are few countries out there that will require you to have a special entry visa for you to travel within their country. This process can take some time, weeks to months, so we advise you start looking into those requirements when you are planning your vacation.
Again, in our experiences, the best day of the week to buy flights is a Tuesday. Apparently, this is due to airlines announcing deals on Monday evenings. By Tuesday at noon, other airlines are trying to match those deals. We do however suggest that you check other days as flight prices fluctuate on a regular basis.
Best Sites for Searching Airfare
Below are some of the sites we use on a regular basis when searching for air tickets. We recommend checking several or all of these sites to find the best deals. Spending 30 minutes of your time searching for air tickets is certainly worth the savings you can achieve in essence “paying you back” for your time.
Google Flights – Search several different sites. Easy to use interface. Great for first check of air prices across different dates.
http://flights.google.com
Skyscanner – My preferred 2nd stop after Google Flights.
http://www.skyscanner.com
Kayak – An excellent way to search several sites for the best deal. This can be used to compare against the sites above.
https://www.kayak.com
Below are some of the sites we use on a regular basis when searching for air tickets. We recommend checking several or all of these sites to find the best deals. Spending 30 minutes of your time searching for air tickets is certainly worth the savings you can achieve in essence “paying you back” for your time.
Google Flights – Search several different sites. Easy to use interface. Great for first check of air prices across different dates.
http://flights.google.com
Skyscanner – My preferred 2nd stop after Google Flights.
http://www.skyscanner.com
Kayak – An excellent way to search several sites for the best deal. This can be used to compare against the sites above.
https://www.kayak.com