At TPG, our main goal is to help you find the cheapest airfare possible. However, the ability to find valuable airline deals depends on a few factors. Flights during spring break, peak summer, and holidays are often much more expensive. But fear not, we have some tips to help you find the best deals.
One common myth is that booking a flight on a certain day of the week will yield the cheapest results. Some people claim to have found great deals by checking airfare prices at specific times or on specific days. However, airfare experts say that timing does influence airfare prices, but there is no magic day to book.
According to Lindsay Schwimer, a consumer travel expert at the booking app Hopper, there are sweet booking windows when airlines lower prices. Hopper relies on 10 years of data and 80 trillion flight prices to recommend the best time to book specific routes and dates. Schwimer suggests monitoring prices three to four months in advance for domestic trips and booking one to two months in advance. Hopper has a price tracking tool that can help with this.
For international trips, the window is a bit larger. It is recommended to start monitoring prices six to seven months prior to the trip and book three to five months in advance. Planning ahead is key to getting the cheapest airfare for international travel.
While there is no specific day that guarantees the best price, midweek travel is generally cheaper than flying on weekends. Wednesdays are particularly good for domestic travel, with savings of around $56 per ticket on average. Flying midweek can save you nearly $100 off your ticket. Additionally, booking the first flight of the day can often save you money, as these flights are less likely to be delayed or canceled.
Airlines look at customer demand and monitor booking trends to decide whether to open or close certain fares and whether to raise or lower existing fares. By using a price monitoring tool like Hopper’s Flight Watch, you can get real-time updates on the price of your desired route and book when prices are at their lowest.
When it comes to holiday travel, the best time to book for spring break is about a month before, depending on when your time off falls. Prices for airfare will fall between one and three months before departure and rise rapidly in the last three to four weeks before spring break. For Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cheapest holiday airfare deals are generally available in September and October. It is recommended to start monitoring prices in August and book no later than mid-October. Prices will only rise as you get closer to the holidays. For New Year’s Eve, it is best to book by no later than Halloween.
When it comes to hotels, you can often wait until much later to score good deals, especially in big cities. Last-minute deals for hotels are common, especially during holiday weekends.
In conclusion, finding the cheapest airfare depends on various factors. While there is no specific day that guarantees the best price, monitoring prices in advance and booking during sweet booking windows can help you find the best deals. Midweek travel is generally cheaper, and booking the first flight of the day can save you money. For holiday travel, it is best to book in advance, and for hotels, last-minute deals are often available. By following these tips, you can maximize your airfare savings.