Searching for low fares can be frustrating and confusing at times especially the way flight prices change from day to day for no reason at all. What you need to know is the cheapest day to fly.
What is the Cheapest Dy to Fly?
Wednesday. Followed by Tuesday and Saturday. The most expensive days are Friday and Sunday. These stats are based on domestic travel in the US but from my experience it can be applied to international travel as well.
When is the Cheapest Time to Fly?
As early as possible in the morning. Which means to catch that 6am flight you are going to have to get up very early but you will save money which is the goal.
Best Time to Buy Flights?
According to FareCompare the best time to buy is Tuesday at 3pm ET. So shopping for flights on Tuesday afternoons will give you the best chance of finding a cheap flight.
How do Airlines Price Tickets?
If you’ve ever chatted with your fellow passengers about what they paid for their ticket you will usually find that you both paid very different prices. Airlines have one goal and that is to maximize profit for every seat on the plane.
There are many factors including:
- Competition of Route
- Seat Demand
- Distance of Route
- Number of Seats
- Fuel Costs
Every flight is going to have many types of travelers. The business traveler is less likely to care about the costs of their seat when making a decision to buy their flight. However, they savvy tourist is going to try to get a deal which means there are even more factors airlines have that lead to price differences.
- Making advance purchases
- Departure/Return day requirements
- Minimum Stays
- Maximum Stays
- Purchase Day
- And many more restrictions
Keeping up with all the airline hurdles is next to impossible which is why following the most basic rules are key. Simply keep in mind that the cheapest day to fly in the US is Tuesday and the worst day to fly is Friday or Saturday.
Also, note that low cost airlines may not follow these rules. For example, Southwest may offer different deals on special days just based on their system. So always check multiple sites before you buy and also take a look at How to Hack a Flight for more information.
Bonus Tip:
