The trick to getting a plane ticket for an amazing price used to be based around knowing the best day to book flights, but this is no longer the case. Now, looking up “what is the best day to book a flight?” will actually get you a lot of conflicting information. In fact, recent studies show several different entities have found that there really is NO best day to book flights. Some say Sunday, maybe Tuesday, but whatever resolution they come to, it’s obvious in their findings that the difference in price is marginal.
So, without being able to narrow it down to a single day, the question still remains: how can you get a plane ticket for a dream price?
We’ve got the answer for you! Just use our tips for how and when to book flights so you can score plane tickets for a great deal every time you buy.
Buy in Advance
In a study conducted by CheapAir.com, over 900 million airlines and almost 3 million trips were analyzed and tested. The results of the study showed that the best time to book flights is approximately 54 days before your scheduled departure—whether that be on a Tuesday, a Sunday, or even a Saturday night.
For the best prices on most airline tickets, try to plan ahead and snag your tickets at least six months in advance. For an even better deal, try to book your seats when the flight first opens up about 11 months out.
If you prefer to travel on a shoestring budget at a moment’s notice, use our other tips for a great deal on an airline ticket.
Save First; Plan Later
Save on plane tickets by picking up the best deals and planning the details of your trip after the fact. If you’re itching to travel but you’re flexible on where you travel, use the Explore Feature on Kayak.com to find the best deals for your travel dates. This trick is great for planning a last-minute getaway on a dime. It’s also a fantastic way to satisfy one’s wanderlust!
Don’t Travel on Sundays
Although there may not be the best day to book flights, you can bet there’s the worst day. Whatever you do, avoid scheduling your flight to depart or arrive on a Sunday if you can. According to several different studies and research reports, Sunday is the most expensive day to travel. Instead, try to book your travel near the end of the week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for the best deals on airline tickets.
Shop Around
Everybody knows that buying directly from the airline is the fastest and easiest way to miss out on great savings. When booking a flight, it’s a well-known trick to go through third-party booking sites like Expedia, Kayak, and Google Flights, but the hunt shouldn’t end there. Instead of finding a cheaper price on one of these booking sites, shop around and compare multiple deals to find the best one.
Most of the major booking websites will even make planning your trip easier by packaging your flight, hotel, and transportation into one simple bundle. You can also set up notifications to alert you when flights to certain destinations fall below a certain dollar amount!
Stay Flexible
The most important thing to remember when traveling for cheap is to stay flexible. If you’re willing to switch up your travel dates or even your destination, you’ll open yourself up to a wealth of possibilities when it comes to booking flights on a budget. Remember: your travel plans don’t need to be meticulously thought out and etched in stone, so long as you’ve packed your Nomatic Backpack with the essentials and you know how to travel safely.
The bottom line is this: there is no best day to book flights! What matters is scheduling in advance, scouting for the best deals, traveling near the end of the week, and staying flexible. Go wherever the best deals take you with the ultimate travel bags from Nomatic.