Timing is everything when you are trying to land an amazing deal on airfare. This is especially true if you are booking online. Whereas there are dozens of travel websites out there, convenience and accessibility doesn’t make snagging a rock bottom deal less complicated. For example, many travelers scoop up airline seats thinking they’ve scored a super deal, only to discover that two days later prices plummeted by 30 percent or more.
So how do you win at the high-stakes game of airfare poker?
According to travel experts, there are two main strategies that come into play when searching for the cheapest airfare. The first is to book well in advance of your departure date and the other is to wait to the very last minute. While one may seem to negate the other, in the volatile world of air travel, these timing strategies are your best weapons.
In air travel lingo, “well in advance” roughly translates to two months. Airlines base their prices on capacity and seat availability. Consequently, the fewer seats that are available on a particular flight, the more money you will have to fork over to ensure a spot. If you are traveling on peak travel days, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Labor Day, or during the busy summer months you will need to book about three months in advance in order to score the best deal.
Reserving your seats well in advance is the best strategy if you are inflexible about your dates or destination. However, if have the ability to jet-off on a trip without much planning, then it’s best to wait until a week or two out to buy. Travel experts explain that airlines assess their capacity about three weeks before each flight and adjust prices accordingly. If you’re flexible, you can save up to 60 percent off on airfares compared to those booking early on open flights.
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