Folks are always asking me if we are still selling airline tickets, and yes, we are. For sure, it is not a money-making proposition for our agency, but we certainly provide a service for those who do not have a computer or the inclination to spend time trying to find the best connections and the best fares. Several companies here in the Big Country still use our services because they do not see any merit in designating an employee to take their time to search out schedules and prices, so we provide them an excellent safety net for their travel needs.
Some people are curious about when is the best time to shop and buy airline tickets. That question was addressed in an article in the Dallas Morning News that referenced an individual named Rick Seaney who is the founder of an airline ticket comparison site, farecompare.com. He had several suggestions we knew about, but will pass on.
Your least expensive travel days in the United States is flying on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. Traveling internationally, airfare generally is less expensive on Monday through Thursday.
As we have always said, plan well in advance for the best rates. His suggestion is to purchase your domestic tickets at least 3 months in advance; for trans-Atlantic travel, buy the tickets at least 5 months in advance. For sure, purchase any ticket at least 30 days before travel because the prices will increase substantially after that date. All of that advice is for your normal travel days, but if you want to travel on holidays, especially Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, then as soon as the airlines open the reservation system for that timeframe, act quickly for the best rates.
When asked which is the best day to purchase an airline ticket, we have always said that generally Tuesday afternoon or early Wednesday morning. According to Seaney, “this is when you get the maximum number of cheap seats” in the system. Of course these “cheap seats” have a limited inventory, and as a result a limited life.
He made one suggestion that has merit, especially for families. The airline booking engines, and the internet travel sites are designed to automatically quote the higher fare for a proposed family of five, when there might be 3 seats available for the cheapest rate. It takes longer, but when averaged out, it might be less expensive overall to book everyone in the family individually. Some folks think that if you put all 5 on the same booking that there will be only one service charge, but that is not right. The service charge is for each individual ticket purchased.
Again, the best thing to do is to plan ahead, purchase the ticket, and forget about it. If you do that, I can almost assure you that when you travel, you will be among the few folks on that airplane who has the best fare, and resist the temptation to ask you neighbor what they paid for their ticket because one of you will be real mad!!
The experienced agents at The Travel Factory will be happy to assist with all your travel needs and all we ask is that you resist calling and asking us the best fare and the best schedule to go to Timbucktoo, then taking that information and going on-line and purchasing that ticket from someone who could care less about you and your travel needs. Call us at 325-698-1421 or toll-free 800-760-4040, or drop in for a face to face visit at 4150 Southwest Drive, Ste. 120. We'd love to serve you!!!