While you can never tell precisely when there will be a flash sale or unexpected competition, or even a sudden jump for a popular day, the airfare world is not without guides, and one of them, Rick Seaney of FareCompare.com, issues some annual advice. Here are a few of his points; you can read more HERE
His advice is based on analyzing huge chunks of airfare data, over 300 million combinations of all sorts, so of course there will be averages, trends, and a few surprises.
Among his recommendations:
- Check the few days either side of your preferred date; the differences can be huge.
- Winter prices can be very cheap, especially to colder areas. After February, though, the prices rise with the temps, with weekend fares rising fastest, through May.
- Starting in May, Thursdays and Fridays start to go up, too; Monday through Wednesday may have the best bargains.
- Don’t assume that all summer fares will be high; the first half of June may be much lower than later in the month. Also, prices start to drop in late July, and again in late August/early September.
- And, importantly: No airline is always the best price. He urges travelers, no matter how loyal they are to their favorite carrier, to compare prices from multiple sources.
