7 Errors When Booking Flights

We all wish to find inexpensive flights for business and personal travel. Travel specialists know that locating deals takes more than entering dates and clicking “Complete Purchase.” Booking strategies exist, though some need to be updated.

Methods for booking travel evolve just as anything else in life. So many options exist for consumers, for example, lower-cost carriers, in more markets, and with new classifications like the basic economy. However, transparency around flight pricing has increased far beyond what existed previously. This increased transparency has helped discredit travel myths that could save you roughly $300 on flights.

Here are seven errors you are likely making when booking flights.

1. Constantly reserving the lowest fare

Delta, American, and United all offer basic economy fares that are lower than the standard economy fares and often do not allow for carry-ons, seat selection, or ticket changes. These basic economy fares look like the cheapest option, but you must either follow the airline’s rules or expect to pay extra for items included in the standard economy fare. If you must check baggage, sit with family, or prefer an aisle seat, you may save money by purchasing a standard economy fare.

2. Buying during the weekend

Searching for and purchasing flights on Saturdays and Sundays might be time better spent considering your work schedule, but they will put a hole in your wallet. When searching for fares during popular times, you will decrease your options of finding a good deal. Instead of searching for deals on the weekends, set alerts on apps for the trips you want to take.

3. Reserving too early or late

Buying flights months in advance to save on costs is an outdated theory. It is possible to book flights 11 months before your planned trip, though if you want the lowest ticket price, there is a better time to do so. Booking more than six months before can increase costs as airlines set their preliminary prices conservatively. On the other hand, booking just before a trip will cost you a premium. Prices typically start increasing within two weeks leading up to a trip. It is almost impossible to find a better rate in that time frame than if you had purchased at an earlier date. Over the last couple of years, booking three weeks in advance is usually where the best prices are to be found. Though to ensure you get all the fare updates apps like Google Flights, Kayak, Hopper, and others, will monitor the flights you are looking for and inform you when time to book.

4. Using certain travel dates

Departing flights on Thursdays and Fridays offer the lowest rates, while flights departing on Sundays are the most expensive. While important to remember, the most inexpensive days to travel depend on flights and destinations. If your dates are flexible, check on and take advantage of airline errors or sale fares, resulting in deeply discounted tickets.

5. Dodging early morning flights

Most people think red eyes are the lowest-priced flight of the day. However, flying at 5:00 am is the right move. Travelers are currently experiencing small savings when selecting flights between 4:00 am and 8:00 am. Usually, most people wish to fly after 8:00 am and return from a trip in the late afternoon. Therefore, you will likely save even more if you book an early morning return flight. Even better, early morning flights are less likely to be delayed as most planes have been grounded for the night, and airspace is quiet. Also, airports are less crowded early in the morning, as they are busiest between 12:00 pm and 10:00 pm.

6. Ignoring affordable airlines

How do you start your flight search? Plug in your travel dates and allow a big search engine to do the work? Going this route might force you to miss out on budget airline fare. Most budget airlines do appear in large engine flight searches, although there are some exclusions. For instance, Southwest’s rates frequently do not appear in Google Flights. If a budget airline flies to or from your destination, directly log onto their website to review reduced rates. Some people never think of searching for one-way flights, however, in some cases they can reduce costs. Ever thought about flying into one airport and out of another? If you keep an eye on airline sales, this practice can often work out well for your bank account.

7. Pre-weekend flights

Midweek flights are always less expensive, and with that thought in mind, flexible travelers typically fly home before the weekend to avoid increased rates. This myth was discredited some time ago when it was discovered that every destination, apart from the Caribbean, offered reduced rates when the flight included a Saturday night stay.