When are the Cheapest Plane Tickets?

Instructions on how to save money when buying airline tickets: when and where to find the cheapest plane tickets, what days and months are best to buy, what life hacks, tricks and rules for traveling to take note of.

Why do plane tickets cost different amounts at different times?

First, let’s figure out what the price of plane tickets depends on. It’s not just the distance and the amount of gasoline that will burn during the flight, but also the airline’s pricing policy, the popularity of the destination, competitors’ rates, and seasonality.

In order for a flight to pay for itself, the plane needs to be loaded with passengers to the fullest. The cabin must be filled to the maximum – then the flight costs (aircraft maintenance, gasoline, employee salaries, etc.) will pay for themselves, and the carrier will make a profit. If there are too many passengers on a flight, airlines raise ticket prices. If there are too few passengers, they lower fares. Knowing this, you can predict the behavior of airlines. Traditionally, demand for flights increases during the New Year and May holidays, as well as the summer months, when many people want to go on a trip and on vacation. Then, plane tickets are more expensive than usual. But the less popular months among tourists – February, April, October and November – are the time when the cheapest plane tickets are most likely to be bought. Here is the first answer to the question of when it is better to buy plane tickets. This rule applies to most destinations – from Russia to abroad.

How many months before the trip is it better to buy tickets

First of all, let’s decide how long before departure you can buy a ticket. Air tickets go on sale about 11 months before the flight departure. At this time, they may actually be cheaper, but not everyone is comfortable planning a trip so early. There is a risk that plans will change, and you may end up losing money. After all, the airline does not always return the full amount and often charges commissions or fines. And many air tickets are initially sold as non-refundable – for example, by low-cost airlines, on which we love to save so much.

Usually, in the first period after the start of sales, airlines first offer tickets to participants of their discount and bonus programs. This is a great opportunity to buy an air ticket at a low price if you are 100% sure that the travel dates will not change. Then the tickets appear on airline websites and aggregators at a higher price.

Over time, the price will change depending on the demand for the flight. Often, it reaches its maximum a couple of weeks before departure – this is how airlines want to earn money on those who did not manage to buy tickets in advance. It is not only when you buy your plane tickets that matters, but also the dates of the trip itself. After all, the initial price depends on how much tickets for the same dates cost in previous years. Therefore, a flight during the “high season” – summer, New Year and May holidays – will always cost more: it does not matter whether you buy a ticket 10 months in advance or three.

So the first answer to the question of when it is better to buy plane tickets is: do not travel in the “high season”. It is better to move the dates of your vacation a little so that it does not fall on the months of increased demand. And if you cannot change your plans, try to “play” with the dates. So, you have chosen good, not too busy passenger dates for your trip. What next? The second important point is that it is best to buy roundtrip tickets 3-6 months before the trip – this will be both cheaper and easier. You will not have to make plans almost a year in advance, and the price will still remain at an acceptable level.

There is a stereotype that right before the flight departure you can buy tickets much more profitably, right at a very low price. Allegedly, this is the time when airlines “throw away” cheap tickets that they did not have time to sell. But do airline tickets really become cheaper before departure? Yes and no.  Indeed, you may get lucky. For example, a direct flight with Aeroflot from Moscow to Bangkok usually costs 40 thousand, and on the day of departure it is sometimes sold for 8 thousand. But you may also be unlucky – this also happens. If you do not need to buy tickets in advance for a visa and you are ready to take a risk, you can try to buy a ticket at the last moment, but there are no guarantees here. You will either save a lot, or overpay even more than usual.

In addition, everything depends on the destination and the airline – in some cases, buying a ticket right before departure will be cheaper, and in others, more expensive. Try monitoring prices for the destination you are interested in for several days using Google Travel, Aviasales, Skyscanner or any other aggregator. See how the price changes, check when plane tickets become cheaper, and whether this really happens before departure. Based on this data, make a decision.

To sum it up: how to save money

1. Buy tickets 3-6 months before departure.
2. Try not to fly during the summer holiday season, New Year and May holidays. Also pay attention to when the “high season” and holidays begin in the destination country
3. Participate in discount and bonus programs of airlines – their clients are often offered cheaper tickets. And the accumulated miles can be exchanged for a discount.

What time of day and days of the week is best to buy tickets

Yes, this also matters. In travel groups and forums, you can find discussions about which days are cheaper to buy plane tickets. After all, airlines change ticket prices constantly. They monitor demand daily and adjust their supply accordingly. So ticket prices do change during the week. Prices rise where demand rises – this is a basic rule of economics. That is why tickets are most expensive on the days when people buy them most often – that is, on Friday evenings and on weekends, when many people have free time. So if you are wondering what days of the week are best to buy plane tickets, the answer is Monday through Thursday. The time of day also affects the price. Tickets are usually bought early in the day, during the day and in the evening. So if you make a purchase early in the morning, late in the evening or at night, you can save a little.

Pay attention to the days when air tickets are the cheapest. People often go somewhere on the weekend and take vacation from Monday. Therefore, if possible, buy tickets with a departure in the middle of the week – they are usually cheaper.

To sum it up

1. Buy tickets on weekdays – in the morning, late evening or at night
2. Try to choose flights departing in the middle of the week.

Life Hacks for Buying Cheap Tickets

Here are some more ways to catch cheap flights and save money.

1. Use ticket aggregators – for example, the Google Flights website

This search is much easier than going to the website of each airline you know. Aggregators do it for you – they compare prices on the websites of hundreds of airlines and ticket sales services, and then show the cheapest options. At the same time, they do not charge users a commission. In addition, Google Travel and other aggregators have convenient low price calendars that will help you understand when it is more profitable to buy airline tickets. After all, even a difference of one day can sometimes matter. For example, it may turn out that it is more profitable to fly on Tuesday, although you were planning on Monday. It is almost impossible to determine this on your own – you will have to collect and compare ticket prices for all the nearest dates from all possible airlines.

2. Check prices on airline websites

The ticket price on the airline’s website may be lower. After all, airlines pay extra to intermediaries to sell their tickets on their websites, and this may affect the cost. This is not always the case – often the option that the aggregator shows you is the cheapest. But just in case, always check how much the same ticket costs on the airline’s website.

3. Select another airport

Flights to popular destinations are always more expensive, although airports in lesser-known cities may be located not far from them. For example, tickets to the airport in the Montenegrin city of Tivat are always more expensive than to Podgorica airport, which is an hour and a half away. The same story with Venice – instead of Marco Polo Airport, you can consider Treviso, which is only 30 km from the city.

4. Subscribe to newsletters and social networks of popular airlines

After all, they often talk about their discounts and sales there — this is the case when reading ads is useful. If you constantly monitor subscriptions, newsletters and social networks, there is a high probability of finding a new advantageous offer or finding out how to buy a plane ticket at a discount. Remember that such tickets are usually sold out quickly. So if you see an interesting option, hurry up. But do not make a decision rashly — usually discount and promotional tickets cannot be returned.

5. Pay for tickets in installments

Tickets at favorable prices are bought up very quickly by travelers – if you do not have enough money for them today, then it is quite possible that tomorrow you will not be able to buy them, and you will have to look for other, more expensive options. Therefore, if you see the ticket you need at a good low price, it is better to buy it right away. And if right now there is not enough money on the card, you can pay for the ticket using the Shares service when buying through the seller in the Google Travel service. In this case, the cost of the tickets will be divided into four parts – you will pay the first one immediately, and the remaining three – every two weeks.

6. Fly with transfers

Articles about how to save on air tickets often recommend choosing connecting flights instead of direct ones. They are often cheaper. However, do not lose your head and pay attention to the conditions.

Firstly, a transfer often requires a visa for the country where you are going to make a transfer. This is especially true for flights in Europe, but not only. For example, if you are flying to Thailand with a transfer in India, you will need an Indian visa. And obtaining a visa is another time and money expense. Secondly, the transfer should not be too short. Otherwise, you risk being late for your flight – for example, if the plane takes off later or there is a queue at passport control. If you arrive and depart from the same airport, it is advisable to choose a transfer no shorter than 1.5-2 hours. If the airports are different, make sure that you have time to get from one to the other, taking into account possible traffic jams. It is best to check the conditions on the websites of aggregators – there they will select a transfer route for you and tell you about all the restrictions.

7. Use low-cost airlines

Trying to figure out how to buy a plane ticket at a discount, many people come across websites of low-cost airlines – budget airlines that reduce ticket prices by refusing to offer basic services. This saving has its downside – baggage is usually not included in the ticket price. And if you are going to take a large suitcase with you, you will have to pay extra for it, and sometimes a lot. The same ticket without baggage can cost 50 thousand, and with baggage – 65. You will also have to pay extra for large carry-on baggage, food in the cabin, seat selection and other services. However, if you don’t need luggage and don’t care about food, low-cost airlines are a great option. Every country and region has its own low-cost airlines. For example, Russian low-cost airlines Pobeda fly in Russia, Ryanair and Wizz fly in Europe, Pegasus Airlines fly in Turkey, and AirAsia fly in Asia.