fare shopping Archives - TravelSkills

Want to make Chris’s eyes roll? Then ask him: “what’s the best day to buy airline tickets?” 🙂

My eyes roll and I sigh every time I see a study or opinion about “the best day” to shop for low airfares. It’s all a bunch of malarkey!

And it’s even more bogus during fall months when travelers start thinking about booking trips home for the holidays— a time when all “rules” get thrown out the window.

For many years, Tuesday was supposedly the “best day” for airfare shopping. A recent study shows that weekends, especially Sundays can be even better. I’ve heard some people advise staying up until 1 a.m. on Wednesdays. According to some experts, you should buy your ticket 42 days ahead of time. Oh, wait, the latest study says 57 days.

That might all be “generally” true but the fact is that there is no “best day” for buying airlines tickets because each traveler and trip is different. The same holds true for credit cards… there’s no single card that’s perfect for frequent travelers— just one that’s best for you. For both, there are just too many variables.

One bit of good news right now? Airfares are trending downward due to lower fuel prices and overcapacity. These trends will be magnified over the next few weeks as we enter the slower fall “shoulder” season and airlines roll out deals to help keep all those seats full. Fall is one of the best times of year for those with schedule flexibility to troll for last minute fare deals– or last minute “deals” on frequent flyer mile redemptions.

Here are 6 steps to remember when fare shopping:

1) Determine the “going rate” for the trip on the dates that work best for you– and keep in mind that Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are generally the cheapest days for flying. Shop for fares on your airline of choice and also on fare comparison or shopping sites (my favorite is the ITA Matrix, but it’s kinda geeky). Google’s Flight Search tool is great for a cursory glance. I also like Flyr, which uses science to determine the best time to pounce on an airfare. And don’t forget to check Southwest.com since Southwest fares don’t show up on most comparison sites.

Do you follow us on Twitter? It’s a great way to keep up with the latest news!

2) Factor in fluctuations in demand for your target price. For example, you won’t find that $250 transcontinental round trip around Christmas or in July or August…but you might find it during the dead weeks of early January. You’ll likely find a decent summer fare to Europe in June… but feggedaboutit in July or August. Subscribe to blogs like TravelSkills or follow our Facebook & Twitter feeds to stay on top of periodic fare sales.

3) Set up fare alerts for price drops– fare shopping sites such as AirFareWatchDog, Kayak, Hipmunk, FareCompare or major online travel agencies will do this for you. Based on your research of the “going rate” set a fare level that feels comfortable for you (based on demand), and you’ll get an email if the fare drops below that. Don’t forget to include all the airports near your destination– some can be significantly cheaper than others.

POPULAR this month: How often do planes get washed? Surprising answer

4) Once you see a fare that fits into your budget and timeframe, BUY IT. Feel good knowing that you snagged a good seat on a convenient flight at a reasonable price. Don’t sweat it. By waiting, you’d likely not find the most convenient flight for you. Convenience is worth paying for.

5) Monitor for fare drops during the 24-hour grace period you have for canceling reservations without penalty. In the rare case that you find a lower fare within 24 hours, cancel your original reservation without penalty, rebook, and repeat.

6) If you are still worried that you might have paid too much, Yapta.com will monitor your fare and help you get a refund if you discover you overpaid. (But Yapta can’t get you out of paying cancellation or change penalties.)

What are your best tips for snagging the lowest fares? What’s the best deal you’ve obtained this year? Please leave your comments below.

(This is a Blast from the Past post — a perennially popular subject– making a reappearance on TravelSkills. Enjoy! Here’s the original post and excellent comments)