When To Buy Your Airfare

This article may NOT contain the answer you are looking for, but I do hope it clears up some of the confusion and misinformation that is floating out in cyberspace when it comes to the best days and times to buy airfare for your upcoming dream vacation.

First, here is a fact about airfare prices,  they fluctuate on almost a minute by minute basis.  The fluctuation is due to computer algorithms that set prices based on the number of seats still available on a certain flight.  As seats sell, prices change.  Its good ole supply and demand, plain and simple.  There are a lot of detailed articles out there trying to give more detail into why prices are so different for the same flight on any given day, but it all boils down to economics.  If a flight is a popular route, you can count on the fact that prices will reflect it (i.e. supply and demand) and that won't matter if it is on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc.

Second, we get asked all the time whether it is cheaper to fly on a Tuesday vs a Friday etc.  The answer still goes back to supply and demand.  It very well may be cheaper because a lot of business travelers leave out on Sundays and Mondays and come back on Fridays or Saturdays.  But keep in mind that airlines know this and the number of flights reflect the busier days and routes which brings up the issue of availability and the number of connections.

Third, what you see when it comes to the published fare may not be the real cost of flight.  For example, you bought a ticket on "ABC Airlines."  Then when you went to choose your seat, the only available seat for the price was a middle seat near the back bathroom.  So you see that the seat is in an awful location but you also see there are other seats that you can upgrade to for the everyday low price of $60.   So you waited until Tuesday to buy that airfare that was $30 lower but ended up paying $60 more for a seat you actually want to sit in.

So with all of this said, here are the factors that should play into your decision of when you want to buy your airfare:

1) How committed are you to the trip?  If your trip dates are set due to vacation schedules and you are set to a certain departure and return date, you should consider buying your airfare as soon as you can. I say that because if your vacation destination is a popular one, the good flights (good times and connections) can sell out while you wait to see if the fare is going to drop $20 to $50.

2) Single vs multiple connection flights.  Let's assume there are no direct flights between where you are and your destination so you will have at least one connection.  You need to weigh the importance of the number of connections as well as the layover time.  Waiting to buy on a certain day of the week and at a certain number of days before your trip can put at risk losing the best connection and layover times. Was it worth the difference in airfare if you now have to stop at 2 different airports before reaching your final destination?  Each connection carries its own risks such as the chance for bags to get lost or issues with weather or airplane equipment.  The money you might save may seem insignificant if you spend the first two days of your vacation in the same clothes you started in.

3) Time of year.  if you are flying to a destination that is popular during a certain time of year (i.e flying to Europe in June or July), the prices will not only change rapidly, but again, flights can literally sell out.  The direct flight you wanted from Chicago to Rome not only could be sold out, but the longer connecting flight may also now cost more because you waited.

Let me summarize by telling you how we consult our clients when it comes to purchasing their airfare.  If we know that the client's dates are set and we know that destination is a popular one for that time of year, we always encourage them to buy as soon as possible with only a few exceptions.  We advise them to consider the single vs multiple connection.  We help them see that taking the last flight out may appear cheaper but it may not be worth it if that flight is canceled and there are no longer anymore options out that night.  We make sure sure our clients see that the cheaper flight may have a layover until the next morning which means there will be an overnight hotel stay which also now adds to the cost.  We make sure our clients know that if it is important that they are seated together, then we need to grab the flights and seats when we can to make sure that happens.

So do you see that waiting to buy airfare on a certain day or picking days of the week that you think will be cheaper may not be the best choice?  Its not a simple answer of "always buy on Tuesday because its cheaper."  Let professionals help you understand the pros and cons of waiting or not waiting.

The Best Time to Travel

"What is the best time to visit destination 'XYZ'?" That is a common question I get asked by travelers wanting to visit a variety of places. It is a logical question to ask. So I felt like I needed to take a few moments and address the question generally to show the different ways that the question can be answered.

Most people really expect someone to answer that question in relation to weather and crowds etc. Now here is the thing to consider, in most cases, the better the weather also means the larger the crowds. Europe's best weather months really coincide with their peak travel season. That also translates into higher travel costs.

So the best time to travel to somewhere in Europe is really during times that are considered the "shoulder season" or off-season. There are a lot of destinations in Europe where the weather is rather temperate all year and can offer great savings opportunities if you can travel during off-season dates which are usually early Spring or early to mid-Fall and not around major holidays.

But for almost every "pro," there is a "con" to also consider; traveling to Europe during off-peak times can have limited accommodation and activity options. Some hotels in Europe actually shut down during the off-season to refurbish or simply to take their own vacation so you need to make sure you plan well in advance and don't just show up in a town and expect to find a room to sleep in for the night. There may not be any. But if you prefer to walk down less crowded streets, then off-season travel in Europe may be the thing for you.

Ok...so what about places like the ever-popular Caribbean? What are the best times to travel to that region? This answer will cover all options (i.e. cruises to the area or staying at a resort). In my opinion, the best weather in the Caribbean is during the late Fall and Winter months. The temperatures are a little lower or less hot I should say and with much less humidity. Crowds are also lower in the late Fall months due to so many travelers still being concerned about traveling to the area during the hurricane season. So that brings up a con again. If you travel to the Caribbean between the months of August and the end of November, you are technically going during the region's hurricane season. That means great prices in most cases (big pro) and much lower crowds, but it also means you need to be prepared for changes to your itinerary if a hurricane were to develop and start heading towards your destination. Cruise ships will divert to other ports of call or cancel itineraries all together if their scheduled route is in the path of a possible hurricane. They have the right to change their itinerary at any moment if they feel the possible safety of its passengers and crew are in jeapordy due to weather. A good way to get some peace of mind if you are traveling during that time of year is by purchasing travel insurance. Most plans will cover delays or cancellations due to weather etc. (check each plan for details of what is covered before hitting the purchase button).

So are you seeing that the answer to the question can vary a lot? I really prefer to travel during those off-peak times and that may or may not coincide with the greatest weather etc. But it may offer a better overall experience because of less congestion and keeping more money in my pocket at the end of the day.

What have you experienced when traveling at different times of the year? Do you have your favorite time to travel to a particular destination? I am interested in hearing your answers or questions.