No matter how much you try to budget your money, there are some things you simply can’t plan for. Booking a flight is often one of them, as you may need to cross the country for an emergency. Of course, some of you may finally be taking a well-deserved vacation and just don’t want to blow a lot of money on the travel arrangements.
Either way, you can stand to save good money by booking your tickets on either Tuesday or Wednesday. This is generally when airlines release new prices for upcoming flights. They tend to be low either to entice people to book flights in the future right now or because they’re looking to attract the impulsive types who have just decided they want to get away for the weekend.
If you’re planning a vacation, be sure you take it during a shoulder season. This is any time of the year between high seasons, but it will depend on where you’re hoping to travel. For example, if you want to take a trip to London, October would be a shoulder season that will cost you a lot less. Heading across the border to Mexico? Do so between spring and summer break.
Again, so long as you have some freedom, play around with the dates you’ll be gone. By doing some comparison shopping, you’ll most likely find that there are days you would have otherwise not chosen that can mean a lot of savings. Some people even end up with extra money despite taking a longer vacation.
Lastly, don’t forget to sign up for airline alerts. They’ll make your life much easier by notifying you whenever it’s most affordable to jump on a plane.
While flying is never going to be particularly cheap, that doesn’t have to mean you automatically pay full price. Follow the above advice to help keep flying to a minimum cost.
Sources:
http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/5-ways-to-save-on-airline-tickets-1.aspx
http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/budgeting/5-ways-to-save-money-on-flights.htm#page=4
