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When is the Best Time to Buy Plane Tickets?

March 27, 2017 by Amanda Blankenship

Best Time to Buy Plane Tickets
Have you ever heard someone say there is a science to getting the best price on your plane tickets? It sounds practically impossible, right? If there was a “trick” out there to save cash on airfare people would be doing it.

As it turns out, plenty of people are doing it and they are saving quite a bit of money. So, if you’re a frequent traveler you may want to know the best time to buy planet tickets.

When is the Best Time to Buy Plane Tickets? 

From what I’d heard from others saving money on plane tickets is practically impossible. You’ve got to like wake up at 3 a.m. on a Wednesday, sacrifice a small animal and make the purchase by 3:01 a.m. or you’ve missed your chance but that isn’t the case.

Well, the early morning Wednesday purchase is true, according to CN Traveler. One in the morning on Wednesdays to be exact. You should also wait until the last possible minute to book your flight so you can look for the best deals.

If you’re booking your flight 21+ days in advance, however, Sunday may be the best time to buy plane tickets. In fact, weekends are a good time to book your plane tickets anyway (except for Fridays, which usually means higher bookings for business trips). Sources say that if you book on the weekends you can save up to 17 percent domestically and 30 percent on European flights.

Why is it Cheaper to Buy Plane Tickets on Tuesdays? 

There’s no real reason flights are cheaper to purchase at certain times than others. It is based on how much traffic the respective airline is getting at the moment. As far as airfare goes though, 2017 will likely be a year where plane ticket prices are much lower. There seems to be a bit of a panic (throughout the world) where travel is concerned with heightened terrorist activity around the globe.

Other Ways to Save on Airfare 

You don’t have to time your purchase perfectly to save money on plane tickets though. Here are a few more tips on how to get the best plane ticket prices:

  • Compare. Unless you have a credit card with a rewards program with a specific airline there’s no reason to book with the same company every time. If you can save some money by comparing and going with a cheaper airline, do it!
  • Groupon. You can save a ton of money on airfare and travel using Groupon. Check out this article on How to Use Groupon.
  • Travel sites. If you’d prefer to use sites like Expedia or Travelocity to book your flight you can save a great deal that way as well. You can usually bundle it with your hotel and rental car through these sites as well.
  • Fly domestic. I flew with Spirit Airlines last year from Latrobe, Pa. to Tampa, Fla. for $100 round trip (and I booked it a week ahead of time). If you can find a smaller airline going to your destination you can really save a lot of money flying with them instead.
  • Discounts. Some businesses and traveler’s clubs (like AAA) offer discounts. You can check with the airline to see if you have any discounts available to you (don’t forget student discounts, veterans discounts, active duty discounts and senior discounts as well).

Do you have any other tips on how to save money when traveling? Let us know!

Photo: Sandra

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