Cheapest Ways to Fly

Since it is summertime and many people are making travel plans, I thought it would be a good idea to write a post about the ways to get the best deals on flights. Sometimes doing some extra work and being flexible can help save lots of money on airfare. Here are a list of tips that can help to plan the best flight schedules.

Book Flights for Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday

These are the days each week that have the least demand for flights. To fill flights on these days, airlines often have to make prices more attractive to travelers. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected but Saturday may be surprising. Most flights happen on Friday or Sunday; when people are taking vacations, they often wish to leave Friday and not wait until Saturday.

Shop on Tuesday

Tuesday is the day that the least people are online shopping for flights. Prices tend to rise when customers are comparing prices, even if they make no purchases. Because people tend to spend the least time shopping for tickets on Tuesdays, the prices tend to be lowest.

Shop Many Airports

Many people make the mistake of choosing a specific airport to fly out of and into. This greatly reduces the number of flights to choose from. For example, a flight out of New York City could use JFK Airport or LaGuardia. Kayak.com has a tool - add nearby airports - that allows customers to select from several different departure and arrival airports at once.

Fly From a Hub

If it is not possible to be extremely flexible, try to fly out of a major airport. Airlines operate using spoke and wheel models; many flights from small airports have layovers at large airports before rerouting to another destination. The largest hub airports tend to be located near major U.S. cities.

Fly Early or Late

The flights with the cheapest seats tend to be those that leave at the earliest times in the morning, often before the sun rises. Fewer people want to fly at this time, so flights are harder to fill. When a route offers red eye flights, they are often even cheaper.

Buy One Ticket at a Time

This can be stressful! When several people are travelling together on a flight and buy tickets in one transaction, the airline charges the the same price for each ticket. The price they charge is the most expensive ticket. Buying the same tickets separately can allow one or more of the tickets to be sold at a lower price.

These are my main tips, but the most important thing is to be diligent. But remember, travelling is supposed to be fun, so don't get too stressed out.