Exerts said flying on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday is “significantly cheaper” than flying on a Monday, Friday or Sunday.
BEAUMONT, Texas — With the school year coming to a close and summer on the horizon, Southeast Texans are already thinking of destinations for summer vacations.
Community members are looking for where to travel and ways to save. There are rumored tips and tricks that suggest when it comes to travelling by plane, getting cheap tickets is all in the timing.
“We booked it two months in advance, so we got a pretty good deal,” a Southeast Texas traveler said.
Some believe booking an airline ticket on different days of the week can have a major difference in the price. Experts said a number of different factors play into how much a traveler will pay for a ticket.
“If you waited until May, mid-May to book your summer travel, you’re not out of luck but you are in a tougher situation,” Willis Orlando, Scott’s Cheap Flights employee, said. “So, you need to be as strategic as possible.”
Orlando said there is still hope for those looking to catch cheaper flights for their summertime vacations. The expert shared his top three tips on scoring a deal when travelling for the summer.
First, the expert encourages travelers to be flexible with their dates. Orlando confirmed flying on certain days is a lot cheaper than on others.
“If you can be flexible, if you can say, ‘Listen, I understand the flying on a Tuesday or a Wednesday or a Saturday is significantly cheaper almost across the board than flying on a Monday or Friday or Sunday,’ you’re much more likely to find a good deal,” Orlando said.
A 12News crew put the strategy to the test by searching for flights from Houston to Miami for a week in July. When crews looked at July 15 and July 22, which are both Fridays, the lowest price was $292.
When the days switched to July 12 and July 19, which are Tuesday, the price dropped to $201.
Orlando also highly suggests that travelers check competing airlines. Houston is a hub for United Airlines and competing airlines always try to dig the competition.
Lastly, Orlando said Texans should book a season ahead. Two to three months ahead is ideal for domestic flights.
As a bonus tip, Orlando said the destination matters as much as the day.
“If you want to go to the Florida Panhandle, or what have you, and everybody else, you know, you’re gonna pay more,” Orlando said. “Consider the inland or the mountains or the northeast or these places that are coolers for summertime. You’ll find great deals, small crowds, cheap hotel prices. It’s a good time to travel to those places.”
Orlando also said travelers should track their flights, so they can be alerted when prices drop or when they’re about to increase.
