Most budget-savvy travelers want to know: does the day or time of day (or night) matter when booking a flight? Often, the answer is yes, but the specifics may vary depending on the season and the travel destination. However, there are some tried and true methods that will allow you to book cheap flights — and most of these require you to know a bit more about when the busiest, most expensive travel times are.
When You Should Fly
One thing you’ll need to remember when trying to save big on your next trip: fly off-peak. That means rather than flying at a reasonable hour on a weekend, you’ll want to choose an early-morning, late-evening, or meal-time flight in the middle of the week. If you plan to fly home around the holidays, you should avoid the most popular travel days (i.e., the day before Thanksgiving or the Sunday following it and the period between December 19 and 21).
As far as when you actually sit down at your computer to book your flight, the jury’s still out. Seven weeks in advance is typically a good sweet spot, but it’s possible to snag a great deal at the last minute. Setting up price alerts and checking airfare changes frequently may allow you to save some dough — but you’ll still need to give yourself enough time to book without feeling like you’re in a time crunch.
Time May Matter
The time of day you reserve your tickets may matter a little bit — for example, you’ll likely save some cash by booking at midnight on a Tuesday instead of at 3 AM on a Friday — but the difference isn’t huge. In general, making your reservations on a Thursday during the day might allow you to save $10 or $20, but it really depends on the route in question. With so many factors at play, you’ll likely fare just as well if avoid Friday and Sunday flights and you choose a less crowded airport hub.
Ultimately, one of the best ways to ensure you pay less for your vacation is to use a flight price comparison portal that offers a price match promise, regular promos and discounts, and a wide variety of airlines and destinations. That way, you’ll know you’re getting the best deal — and you won’t have to sacrifice your beauty sleep just to save.
