In most cases, the earlier you purchase your tickets, the better. Airline tickets go up in price as they get closer to the departure date. Typically, prices will go up 21 days, 14 days, 7 days, and 3 days before flying. The better able you are to plan ahead, the cheaper your ticket will be. For international flights, the best prices can be found three to six months in advance. If you cannot buy early and you can wait, look for last-minute airfare deals. Airlines will drop prices on seats at the last minute rather than have an empty seat on the plane. Keep in mind that airlines also advertise sales on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Shop around. Travel providers compete with each other to offer the lowest prices. Never take the first ticket price you see. Check sites that offer multiple prices for different airlines. This can give you a baseline of what the prices are. Then check the individual airline prices to see if they are meeting the price or are lower. Many airlines offer guaranteed lower pricing if you purchase directly from them.
Be flexible on the dates and times of travel. If you can travel overnight, you may get cheaper tickets. Traveling on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays can give you cheaper prices than other days. Changing dates by a week or two can help when looking for cheaper flights.
If the ticket prices go down after you purchase the tickets you can ask the airline for a refund. While airlines may not oblige, some do have unadvertised policies regarding matching ticket prices.
If you have gathered frequent flyer miles, don't forget to redeem them when possible. If you have booked early, chances are your miles can be used.
