Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
How to save 40-60% on air travel tickets
Plane tickets are almost as bad as gasoline when it comes to fluctuating prices. The cost of a ticket can change day to day and even hour to hour.
However, pricing tends to follow a certain pattern. CheapAir.com did a study and found that prices are the lowest about 49 days or 7 weeks before the travel date. For Thanksgiving and Christmas travel, shoot for making your reservations 14 weeks out.
How about the best day to buy a ticket?
Conventional wisdom says mid-week prices are cheapest and some rate studies seem to bear that out. FareCompare.com even nailed it right down to the hour saying the best prices are available at 3 pm on Tuesdays. Another good site to check is Kayak's “when to book” section.
Airline fees that can add hundreds
When you are shopping for a plane ticket, don't make the mistake of assuming the ticket price is your bottom line. In 2012, airlines collected $27 billion in fees on top of ticket prices.
The cheapest airfare might end up costing the most if you book with a carrier that is nickel and diming you with a boatload of fees.
Watch for these additional charges that may not be included in the quoted price:
- Taxes
- Fuel fees
- Baggage fees
- Meals
- Priority check-in or preferred seating premiums
- Onboard entertainment costs and internet access fees
- Reservation change fees
Other tips to save money on plane tickets
Finally, as you are shopping for plane tickets, keep in mind these insider tips that can save you hundreds.
– Try shopping for smaller groups. Airlines might only sell their best rates in smaller quantities. Rather than buying four tickets at once, you might get a better deal by purchasing two sets of two tickets each.
– Check out the prices at smaller airports. Driving an hour to a different airport might save you a couple hundred dollars off the price of your fares.
– Compare the prices for one-way tickets vs. round trip tickets. Round trip is usually cheaper, but not always.
– Likewise, consider flying the legs of your trip on different airlines. If you limit your luggage to only a carry-on, it shouldn't be a big hassle to switch carriers halfway through your trip.
– Fly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays which seem to be cheapest days for air travel. Avoid Friday and Sunday flights which can be the most expensive.
– Follow airlines on Twitter and Facebook where they may post flash sales with deep discounts.
– My favorite site for booking flights is currently HipMunk.com. Flights are organized by a combination of best price, shortest length and fewest layovers. It's a great site to include in your ticketing search.
Flying can be expensive but that doesn't mean you can't find a deal. Use these tips to score discount plane tickets for your air travel any time of the year.
