The Nuts and Bolts of Airfare Deals
Shopping for airline tickets has come a long way since the days
of calling the airline companies directly to reserve your
itinerary. The advent of the internet has given everyday
consumers the ability to book airfares without the assistance of
airline customer service representatives or travel agents.
Here's some information that will make you more knowledgeable
about how to get the best deal when booking flights yourself
online.
Have you ever seen the prices for a flight fluctuate drastically
in the same day? This is because most airlines use robust,
database driven software that factors historical purchase data
along with current ticket supply and demand to determine ticket
prices. For example, if a flight is selling out too fast
compared with past flights for that same route, ticket prices
will rise and vice versa. Prices are updated multiple times a
day and even real-time in some systems.
Are you a business traveler? Airline companies are well aware
that businesses are willing to pay more for airfares then the
average consumer, so they commonly implement the "Saturday Night
Stay Over" requirement to capitalize on them. If you're a
non-business traveler try to incorporate a Saturday night stay
over to avoid this fee. If you're on business, show your
employer how much they'll save by letting you stay the weekend,
if you so desire.
What are the most inexpensive days to fly? Tuesdays and
Thursdays are historically the cheapest days to fly, with
Wednesdays and Saturdays being a close second. Fridays and
Sundays are the most expensive. This all goes back to the
aforementioned ticket demand data that helps determine ticket
prices. The same holds true for seasonal popularity and "times
of day". Flying red-eye during non-peak seasons is generally
cheaper because those flights have less demand.
When is the best time to book my flight? Prices on last minute
airfare can be highly volatile so try to book in advance. At the
last minute, airlines know you're desperate and are willing to
pay more. However, occasionally the airlines are desperate to
fill seats, so prices might decrease. For travel during popular
holidays (i.e. Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving) and
internationally try book at least three months in advance. Most
travel sites recommend booking 7, 14 or 21 days in advance, but
in my experiences the rates associated with these intervals
usually get bought up way before then. So, even for domestic
flights I start looking several months in advance.
One of the most important things to consider when traveling is
to try to resist mainstream travel patterns. If you can avoid
traveling during peak seasons, "days of the week" and "times of
the day" you can experience substantial savings. If you can
think "outside the box" when planning your trip, you can find
the discount airfares the airlines were forced to mark down to
ensure a sold-out flight.