Most airlines put their tickets on sale on Tuesdays, so the same ticket purchased on Monday may be significantly lower the next day. Similarly, those lower rate tickets on Tuesday may go up a bit by Thursday.
If your flight falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday, you will likely be paying less for your flight than if it falls on a Friday or Sunday, which are peak demand days. If you can, try to fly out in the morning on these days, as those flights are usually cheaper than flights later in the day.
According to "USA Today," airlines offer their lowest discounted rates 21 days before the scheduled flight time. However, these rates may not be available one week before the flight, so plan your purchase accordingly. International and peak travel time tickets get the best rate three months out.
Sites like Kayak, Orbitz and Travelocity allow you to compare multiple flights at the same time, so you can be assured you are making the cheapest purchase. You can also call airlines directly to check if there are any special deals.
Many air travelers have specific dates and times that they need to be somewhere, but if you are not one of those people, you will have more and cheaper flight options. When booking online, most sites will ask if you are flexible on dates and times. Indicating this will unlock a larger universe of available flights and fares.
You should also be flexible about which airports you fly out of and into, especially if you live near more than one airport. Some discount airlines are based out of certain airports, and flying out of those locations allows you to take advantage of the sometimes sizable discounted rates.
