I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane
When one of my best friends headed to New York for medical school, I vowed that I would fly the 2582 miles each year to pay her an annual visit. Well, 2006 is halfway through, and I have yet to see a Broadway musical, fight the throngs of tourists in Times Square, or devour the ubiquitous New York style pizza ::drool::. Because airfare can be steep, I compiled a list of tips for finding the best deals on airfare.
It’s up. No it’s down. No, no it’s up again. Wait it’s back down. Oh, I give up: Finding the best price can feel like a losing battle, but first checking with aggregator sites like Travelzoo’s SuperSearch, Qixo, Kayak, Mobissimo, and SideStep, which allow customers to simultaneously search multiple travel sites as well as airlines, is a quick and easy way to find the best airfare deal.
The early bird gets the worm: When your travel dates are not flexible or you’re traveling during the holidays, book your flight early. Prices usually increase and flights sell out quickly during holiday seasons. Booking seven days in advance for domestic and twenty one days for international is a good rule of thumb to follow when buying airfare.
Timing is everything: Check for flights shortly after midnight. This is when airlines reload their computers, so you might be able to score a flight that someone reserved but didn’t pay for. If you’re feeling extra diligent, check for flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; this is when airlines release the week’s new deals.
I’m feeling lucky today: Flying out on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday are the best days for the cheapest airfare. If your schedule permits, include a Saturday stay to lower your fare to as much as an additional 25%.
Won’t you be my neighbor: Flying to major airports is sometimes more costly, so make sure to check neighboring airports for a sweeter deal.
Tis’ the season to be wary: Traveling during high season can tack on a couple extra hundred dollars to your ticket DUH!, but what most people don’t know is that during high season most airlines treat some days (e.g. December 25th and January 1st) as low season, offering flyers flights that are much more economical. Make sure to ask airlines which days are considered low season to save yourself that extra dollar.
Now that you are fully equipped to be a lean, mean airfare-deal-finding machine, I am off to the Big Apple! D.J., break out the AeroBed!