Great Tips for Cheap Airfares
Posted by brian in Travel News And Deals, travel resources
An interview on NPR revealed that the best days of the week to fly for the best ticket prices were Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
The best day of the week to actually buy the ticket is Tuesday afternoon.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101628022
Other tips for the best airline ticket prices:
Be Flexible with Your Dates
In my experience you can also great fares if you're willing to be flexible about your dates. Most booking options on the Internet ask if you are "flexible" with your dates, meaning they will show the fares for the days you request, and then show the fares for a few days before and after you want to fly. If there is a significant cost difference, you may want to change your plans to take advantage.
Consider Early Morning and Late Night Flights
Early morning and late red eye flights are generally not packed. Everyone wants to fly in the middle of the afternoon and early evening. Do not be one of the lemmings and save money by going during the off peaks hours.
Plus you deal with less crowds in the airport terminals and can get through the security lines faster. That to me is reason enough to fly during the early morning and late evening.
Book a Round Trip Ticket
Even if you are traveling one way, look at the round trip ticket. It could be cheaper than the one way fare. Makes no sense you say? I know, but I've experienced this firsthand.
When I flew from Rome to get back to New York, I booked a round trip flight from Rome to Amsterdam, because the round trip ticket was significantly cheaper. As in hundreds of dollars cheaper.
Look at the airports nearby
In New York, there is JFK for international flights. But I flew out of Newark in New Jersey which is the same distance to JFK for me when I started my round the world trip because the price was less. The "secondary" airports of your area are generally less crowded and could give you a significant price advantage. Don't ignore them.
