By
iCheapAirfares Staff: 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 experience the cheapest tickets usually
get bought up long before then. So, even for domestic flights I
start looking several months in advance.
Ultimately, the best way to save money when planning your trip is
to resist mainstream travel patterns. If you can avoid traveling
during peak seasons, days of the week and times of day you can find
the tickets the airlines were forced to mark down to ensure a sold-out
flight. Use
the iCheapAirfares Comparison Search to find the lowest airfares!
