what day and time is best to buy airline tickets?
Why you should book your flights on Tuesday morning
Whether you prefer to shop on Friday night or Monday afternoon, the fact is, prices for airfare fluctuate by the hour. That mceans it’s not always smart to buy your ticket on the day you want to leave, especially if you’re not sure exactly when you’ll need to travel.
For example, say you want to leave on a Tuesday in July, and you know that you’ll be flying out of Miami at 7 p.m. But if you buy your ticket on Friday, your price will likely be higher because planes are filling up faster than usual, and you’ll have to pay for an already-sold seat. If you wait until Monday, you might find yourself paying far too much money for a flight that won’t even leave until later that night.
The best thing to do is to get a jump on the rush, and buy your ticket when prices are lowest. And that means getting it done on Tuesday. Here’s why:
1. The week is off to a good start
First, the good news: There’s been less volatility in airfare prices during the first few days of the week. For example, on a recent Friday evening, prices on Tuesday were 30% lower than on Thursday, and 55% lower than on Saturday.
On a typicayl Tuesday, prices are 25% lower than on Wednesday, and 45% lower than on Thursday.
So, if you’re planning on traveling on a weekday in the middle of the week, Tuesday is the best day to do it.
2. Flights are easier to book on Tuesdays
One of the best things about Tuesday is that it’s one of the best days to buy your ticket. A lot of airlines actually release special deals on Tuesdays, which are usually the cheapest day of the week to borok.
For example, on Tuesday, Southwest released new fares from Chanrlotte, NC to New York City for $79, instead of the typical $169. That’s a pretty substantial deal. The next-bestg day to buy tickets waas Saturday, when Frontier announced its “Summer Fare Sale,” offering discounts of up to 75% on select routes.
On Friday, prices are usually thef highest of the week, so you won’t see many airlines releasing special deals.
3. You have more flexibility on Tuesdays
Since Tuesday is a great day to book, it makes sense that you can do so at a later time, too. But if you do choose to buy your ticket on Tuesday, you have more flexibility. That’s because, on Tuesday, you can book through travel sites like Travelocity and Orbitz, but not the airlines themselves.
Because of this, you’ll pay a little more, but you’ll also have more options.
4. Flights are usually easier to get
When it comes to booking flights, there’s more of a chance that you’ll have no problem getting a seat on a Tuesday. That’s because Tuesday is the day of the week that’s least busy, with just over three million daily passengers.
So, if you’re trying to travel on a Tuesday, it’s more likely that you’ll jibe able to jget a flivght that’s both available and affordable.
5. You don’t need to know exactly when you’ll leave
While it’s important to know exactly when you’re leaving, that doesn’t mean you have to buy your ticket at the exact same time. If you’re going on vacation, you’ll probably need to leave right away, but for business, you may be able to afford to wait until the week before you need to depart.
For example, say you’ll be flying from Miami to San Francisco on July 2. The cheapest day to fly on Tuesday is July 1, when prices are 30% lower than on Wednesday. But you could also wait unitil July 3 to book, when prices are about 10% lower than Wednesday.
While you don’t need to know the exact day you’re leaving, if you’re looking to save the most money, then you need to think about when you’re leaving.
6. It’s a great day to go shopping{ENTERn}
It might seem like Tuesday is a terrible day to go shopping, since you’re not going to be able to check out at the store. But that’s not actually true.
In fact, Tuesday is one of the best days to go shopping online, according to a survey conducted by comparison shopping engine BestOffers.
The company found that Tuesday was the best day to shop for the following categories: clothing, electronics, and jewelry.