You can buy a flight from travel agents, tour operators, or at airport ticket offices. But it is cheaper to do it on the Internet — on airlines' websites, travel agencies, aggregators, or meta-search engines. The meta-search tool of the Planet of Hotels shows airline ticket options from different airlines. That is, you do not need to go to various websites to choose the most suitable flights.
During the vacation season, holidays, and festivals, flights are always more expensive due to increasing demand. Therefore, if you fly in the low season and on weekdays, flight bookings will usually cost less.
Usually, flights are put on sale 330 days in advance, and it is recommended to buy them 4-6 months before a departure. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are favorable days to search for flights, from 8 AM to 12 PM and 2 PM to 6 PM. On weekends, the price does not change much during the day. Approximately 1,5 months before a departure, airlines adjust the price of flights. In most cases, the closer the departure date is, the more expensive it is. This is not the case with low-costers: You can buy the cheapest tickets from Ryanair 150-75 days before a departure (the price is about 20% lower than the average). The situation is similar with WizzAir, but in 100-75 days before a departure, the price of a flight drops even more significantly — about two times lower than the average. The best time to buy at Ernest Airlines is 180-90 days before a flight (the price decreases by about 20%). Sometimes, companies sell the remaining flights a few weeks or a month before a departure for a penny.
As a rule, evening and night flights can be booked cheaper than morning and day flights. But you should consider, for example, the need to pay for a cab or an extra night at the hotel. Low-cost carriers have the most expensive tickets on Sunday (+15-20% off the average price), and the cheapest airline tickets are on Tuesday and Wednesday (-15-20% off the average price). A departure on Friday and Saturday will cost you 5-10% more than the average price.
For classical airlines, a flight with a departure and return on the same day will cost 15% more expensive, and with a return on the next day — 5% more expensive. If we talk about more extended trips, the most costly option is a departure on Saturday and a return on the following Saturday or Sunday.
If you want to buy a cheap airline ticket, you should bother about it in advance. Besides, not always the cheapest option is convenient and comfortable. When building a complicated route, you should pay attention to the connection points (you may need a transit visa). Often, there is a possibility of stopping on the way, leading to additional costs (a hotel, cab to the hotel). Meta-search of flights can offer options which will involve more than one airline. You should take into account the connecting time between flights. It is more reliable to choose a more extended connection, not less than two hours. Most cheap airline tickets are not subject to change or refund after the payment. You should consider all the peculiarities before pressing the "book" and "pay" buttons.
Do you like to travel and do not miss a chance to save money? We recommend using the services of Planet of Hotels. Our search engine compares the best airline ticket prices in 5 booking systems, among 20 agencies, and 1500 airlines. We will offer direct flights and connecting flights, and you will make your own decision and create an appropriate route. The convenient search allows you to buy airline tickets quickly and safely.
Airline tickets cover a huge part of your travel budget, and this money can be spent on more interesting things. We have some tips on how to get the cheapest flights.
Is it not crucial for you to travel on weekends, holidays, or in the hot season? Flexibility in dates can save you a lot of money. For example, tickets from Monday to Thursday will be much cheaper than from Friday to Sunday. Of course, everything depends on the destination — it is cheaper to travel to some places in winter and to others — in summer.
It would be best if you did this the sooner, the better. The best time to buy airline tickets is 5-6 weeks before the planned trip.
As a rule, prices for connecting flights are lower than for direct flights. So if you have the time and do not mind visiting other cities — it is a great option to buy cheap flights.
Another way to save money is to choose another airport or even a city and create your future route from there. However, it is worth finding out the cost of traveling to the desired destination — sometimes, a taxi ride from a remote airport can equal the pricing of airline tickets.
One more tip — it is the best time to book the flight that departures at night or earlier in the morning. Such trips are usually cheaper.
If you compare the price of an airline ticket with carry-on baggage only and extra luggage, you will see that it is much more cost-effective to travel light.
