When is the Best Time to Buy Airline Tickets
From LoveToKnow Buy
Wondering when is the best time to buy airline tickets? Just like other industries, there are best times to shop with airlines. Sometimes different days of the week are better, some different months of the year are best, and even different times of the day will get you good prices. Read the following guide to figure out just when is the best time to buy airline tickets.
First, Some Myths
There are some techniques or tips you've probably heard over the years, but it may be that they are just myths. See if any of the following make the click:
- Buy your tickets at the last minute. In a rare moon maybe, but the best deals are usually advance sales.
- Always purchase your tickets between midnight and two a.m. This is just ridiculous. Prices don't change that much in two hours whether you are online or in the actual airport.
- Ticket Brokers always have the best deal. Not necessarily. Airlines sometimes offer special deals that only they can offer.
- Buying in the off-season is your best bet. There is no off-season for airlines. They sell tickets 365 days a year. Sure, there are busier seasons, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, but don't expect to find an off-season.
So When Is the Best Time to Buy Airline Tickets?
- Start looking about four to five months out from when you want to book a flight. Last minute deals are a thing of the past because airlines don't really need to offer those cheap seats, especially if you are desperate. If you are looking to book flights during the holidays, then four months is a good time to start shopping and purchasing.
- The busiest day for airfare sales is Tuesday, but there's no guarantee that you find the cheapest tickets. Monday is a good day to shop, sometimes even Sunday night. Most airlines have an email or text alert system so that you can be emailed when tickets for your destination dip to below a certain price. Sign up for it.
- Check out FareCompare. They can compare the prices from more airlines than you can imagine. But one other thing that they do is show you a one-year histograph of airfare price trends. That way you can determine when the best deals happened over the past year and if it's beneficial for you to buy now or wait a month. Results are not 100 percent guaranteed to give you the best deal. It's called a trend because that's what happened the year before and it may happen again.
- Try to stay away from purchasing your tickets within 14 days of your departure especially if it's for personal or vacation reasons. The only exception is for business travelers
Online Ticket Watchers
If you use Priceline then anytime is the answer to "when is the best time to buy airline tickets. The website watches the prices for you if you decide to name your own price. They can also purchase that ticket online for you immediately if you want.
Follow This Rule
Gas stations follow this rule and so do airlines. If you are skeptical, keep watch on the industry for a week or so. The rule is this: When one airline goes up in price, the other airlines will follow. Your major airlines will probably go up the same percentage while the discount airlines will go up, but only slightly. Sunday is the most expensive day to fly, just for your information.
Now the Other Rule
Research the prices and determine how much of a difference the tickets have fluctuated. If there is hardly a difference, then there is no need to rush into it. You can probably be assured you'll find similar pricing one, two, or three months out. Now if there is a huge difference in fluctuation, then you'll want to monitor the pricing and purchase your tickets on the downturn (which is how you purchase your gas, right?)
Learn More
This page has been accessed 10,698 times. This page was last modified 00:57, 1 December 2008.
© 2006-2009 LoveToKnow Corp.

Visit us on facebook