Vacations are be expensive, and costs go up during the summer when many other people are also taking a summer vacation. There are many costs that go into planning a summer vacation, but one of the places where prices can really vary widely is airfare. If you want to save money on your summer travel plans, you can do this by focusing your efforts on reducing your airfare costs. Here are some tips on saving money on airfare:
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Start early. There’s nothing like putting off the plane ticket purchases until the last minute to put your whole vacation over budget. To stretch your airfare dollars the furthest, start looking for deals on airline tickets long before you plan to take your vacation. That gives you the maximum amount of time to find the best possible deals. Also, the greater the number of empty seats on the plane, the bigger the discounts offered by the airline. The earlier you book your flight, the more likely you are to be one of the first to book seats on that flight, and the greater your discount will be.
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Search smart. Chances are pretty good that when you go looking for airline tickets, you’ll be looking online. Do you notice that prices that were low the first time you searched have gone up since then, even if it’s only been a few hours since you last looked? That’s because booking sites track your activity, and since they know now that you’re looking for a flight, why not get the maximum fee they can from you? There’s a simple way around this: Just clear your cache. Without that web browsing history to go by, as far as the booking sites know, this is your first search. That means that you’ll see the lowest prices, designed to draw you in.
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Book on Monday, Fly on Wednesday. Air travelers agree that Wednesday flights are the least expensive, though you can also find some good deals on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you really have to travel on the weekend, schedule the flight for Saturday rather than Friday or Sunday. Being flexible about when you fly can really pay off, which means that it’s smart to book your plane tickets before you make your hotel reservations. Otherwise, you may not have the flexibility to look around and find the cheapest rates available during the week that you want to travel. The day of the week that you book your tickets is important, too. Airlines post their most discounted prices at the beginning of the week, and the prices go up as the week progresses.
- Consider booking a package. Many family tours and vacation packages include airfare as a package deal. Because these travel companies buy in bulk, you can often take advantage of their contracted airfare rates when booking a trip. We always check both for you to ensure you are getting the best value.
By shopping smart when it comes to airfare, you’ll have more money to spend on accommodations and entertainment during your vacation. Chances are, your flight experience will be about the same no matter what price you pay for it, so why not save that money and use it where it will make a difference?
