As a general rule, airline tickets are cheaper when they are purchased during the advanced purchase period. Though airlines establish their own rules for advanced purchase pricing, the industry standard is 21 days before the date of departure. Many airlines release lower priced fares right before the advance period ends in an effort to sell as many seats as possible; if you are willing to wait for your tickets, and if you are flying during non-peak dates, consider waiting until around days 19 through 21 for reduced prices.
Tuesday afternoons are reportedly the best time to purchase airline tickets according to Fare Compare CEO Rick Seaney. Seaney suspects that the drop in fare prices around 3 pm on Tuesdays is due to the fact that most airlines release their sales on Monday evenings. When other airlines become aware of the sales of their competitors, they are able to drop their prices by Tuesday afternoon to remain competitive.
If you have some flexibility regarding the dates you are able to fly, consider choosing non-peak days. Fridays and Sundays are the most expensive days to fly, but Tuesdays and Wednesdays are less popular times to fly and therefore the prices for airfare tend to be lower. If you must fly on a weekend day, consider Saturday rather than Friday or Sunday for slightly lower prices.
Travel during peak times like summer vacations and holidays is usually the most expensive option for travelers. To avoid high prices, plan your trips for non-peak times like the fall. To combat slow sale times, many airlines also release bargain sales during non-peak times; watch for ticket pricing drops after New Year's or in early September. If you must travel during peak times like holidays, consider traveling on the actual holiday itself rather than a day or two before; prices are typically considerably lower.
