How To Save on Airline Tickets All Year Round

How To Save on Airline Tickets All Year Round

While U.S. traffic remains heaviest around the fall-winter holidays, there is in truth no off-season for air travel in this country. Be it the depths of winter or the height of summer, airports and aircraft across the country are packed with people flying hither and you for work and/or pleasure.

Which means that more Americans than ever are actively working to score the best flights possible at the lowest fares available. To be sure, those goals are often in conflict with each other but that doesn’t mean savvy travelers can’t find the flights they want at a price that won’t break the budget. Here are a few strategies to consider the next time you’re deciding how best to get away from it all.

Time Is of The Essence: One glance at an airline website reveals how departure and arrival times significantly impact ticket prices, with midday flights tending to be more expensive than their early morning or red-eye counterparts. The reason, of course, is that most travelers don’t want to fly through the night or be at the airport before the crack of dawn. On the other hand, if you don’t mind travelling under those conditions, there are bargains galore to be found.

Day by Day: In that same spirit, the day you choose to travel greatly impacts your ticket cost. If your schedule is flexible, there is money to be saved traveling on nonpeak days. Also consider flying on actual holidays, when the planes and terminals are usually emptier, and prices can be as much 50% cheaper.

When To Book?: Veteran travelers for years have been bombarded with conflicting opinions regarding when airfares for a given trip will be at their lowest. Some experts suggest the early the better is best, while others say, no, wait until the last minute. This lack of clarity is nothing if not frustrating. The latest school of thought appears to split the difference by urging travelers to book domestic flights two to three weeks in advance but buy their tickets up to six months ahead of time for international travel.

Compare, Compare, Compare: It’s a no-brainer, for sure, but it’s always worth reiterating the importance of putting in the time to thoroughly research the whole range of airline and flight options available to you. Some details to consider are any potential additional fees the airline might slap you with and each flight’s on-board amenities, along with flight duration, number of stops and layover lengths. (No one relishes the prospect of running desperately through an airport to make a connection.)

Connectivity: Speaking of connections, if you are willing to sacrifice convenience for more cash in your wallet, consider connecting flights. These are traditionally cheaper than direct ones, although they often come with their own set of complications.

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At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.