Shop on Tuesday

Because so many airline companies release their weekly sales early Tuesday, forcing rival airlines to match prices, Tuesday is a great day to find many deals. The best time to book an American flight is around 3 p.m. Eastern Time. There are deals to be found on other days, so don't worry.

Lowest-Cost Days to Travel

If you can only book affordable days for a portion of your flight, you can still save money. The cheapest days to travel in the U.S. are mainly Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Weekdays are typically less expensive for overseas travel than weekends. Days that tend to be more expensive: Fridays and Sundays, particularly in the U.S. Fly when few people are around, like as early in the morning, midnight, or during lunch or supper.

Fly Using Most Affordable Routes

Non-stop flights are more convenient, yet connecting flights might occasionally offer lower prices (often but not always). We've seen several connecting flights on lengthy routes that were 50% less expensive than non-stops.

Avoiding Early or Late Shopping

Beware! If you purchase too soon, you risk paying too much. If you wait too long to buy, you may end up paying more. Purchase U.S. tickets between three months and thirty days before to trip. Purchase international tickets between five and twelve months prior to the trip. Flying during popular holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year's or even during high travel months like June, July, or August, will typically result in little savings if tickets are bought a little early, say two months ahead.