So you think getting a cheap airfare is as simple as calling your favorite airline
and forking over your credit card number. Unless you are traveling on someone else's dime, you couldn't be more wrong. Or perhaps
you are a wishful traveler who scours the newspaper's travel section looking for the cheapest fares advertised, only to find none of them
are ever available when you want to go.
Despite popular belief, getting the lowest airfare from where you are to where you want to be doesn't have to be a frustrating experience. We have
the inside scopp on getting cheap tickets for travel anywhere...
Airline pricing is a complex, unpredictable beast driven by the basic scales of economy: competition, demand, and inventory. Airlines
call it "yield management," but we doubt if even they fully understand it.
All major airlines feed their available seats and prices into four central reservation systems that are owned by various airlines - Apollo, Sabre,
WorldSpan and Galileo. Airlines then change their
prices based on demand. If a certain flight is selling well, the price will increase. If another flight has no takers, the fare will
drop until the airline gets some. As a result, fares and inventory are changing every minute just like the stock market. Heck, buying
an air ticket is just like the stock market. You win some, you lose some, and you're always looking for the best deal. There are a
number of factors that go into figuring out ticket prices.
- Internet travel sites and travel agents use the central reservation systems which are updated periodically during the day. The
four are not updated at the same time, which explains why different searches may yield different results.
- The systems also may use different algorithms to search for the lowest fares, which subsequently provide varied fares.
- Demand explains why it is cheaper to fly on a weekday (when fewer people are traveling), at odd hours, or on days other than major holidays.
- Airlines change their prices based on competition. If one airline flying the New York-Miami route drops its rates by 20%, chances
are all airlines will drop their rates, so as not to give the discounter a competitive advantage.
- Fare differences can exist for the same route on different airlines because of other factors. For example, if one airline has the
market share for that route, it may not need to lower fares to attract passengers.
To complicate matters, all this happens at the speed of light. Prices for a specific flight can go up or down even as your travel
agent is getting your credit card information from you. And your fare is never
guaranteed until you have paid.
Airlines also use inventory to their advantage and to lure the unsuspecting flyer. They divide seats on each flight into several price
ranges and set aside a certain number of discounted tickets. Naturally, the lowest fares draw your attention to advertisements. Inventory brings us back to demand. If there is low
availability and high demand, you will have to wait for a cheap fare. But that does not mean you should give up on a trip that is very
popular. Sometimes airlines will change their fares or open up more discounted seats, depending on how sales are going.
Because of all these factors (competition, inventory and demand), it is essential to look around and comparison shop. Feel like you
shoulda paid more attention in Econ class? Well, take a deep breath, it'll be okay.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when searching for a ticket, regardless of whether you are using a travel agent or the Internet:
- Start your search as early as possible (at least a month in advance). While better rates may come along, it'll give you a
starting point. Also, many deals involve making your reservation at least 21 days before departure. But last minute tickets can
sometimes be the cheapest, if you buy a last minute e-fare. These are listed by individual airlines on their websites, or at a
travel website. These last minute fares give you very little flexibility, but they are often very cheap.
- Stay vague about your dates. Ask for the lowest fare, saying that your dates are flexible. That lets you know the best fare
you could get so you can change your dates if price is the most important factor. Just to let you know, the cheapest dates to fly
are usually in the winter, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year's time. So if you can be really vague, try to arrange
for your flight sometime during the cold season.
- Time is your friend. If you can adjust your times to fly, you increase your chances of getting a cheap fare. Taking the "red-eye"
flight can pay off for your wallet because no one wants to depart at 2 a.m. and arrive at 6 a.m.
- Airlines typically attach restrictions to discount fares, like a 7-, 14-, or 21-day advance purchase and/or a Saturday night stay.
Ask about these restrictions, so you'll know what to expect next time so you can start your search early when discounts seat are still available.
- Use the same airline for both directions. Since round trips are about the same as one-way tickets, it doesn't make sense not to.
- Keep checking. It behooves airlines to have full planes, so they may add discount seats without warning. A flight you might have
given up on could yield you a seat if you checked back in a day or two or even a week or month later.
- Use your age. Ask about student discounts.
- Ask about airports other than your destination's main airport. Look into secondary airports outside the city or even in a nearby
city that is less popular. People going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras who find no flights available can get lucky by flying into Baton
Rouge, an hour away, or Mobile, Ala., two hours away by car.
- Check smaller discount airlines that may not be included in the central reservation systems. These smaller airlines usually only
have area-specific flights available (e.g., the Southeast), but they are much cheaper than the big airlines - these guys are great if you're not travelling too far.
- Join a travel club. If you fly more than twice a year, the price of joining can easily make up for itself in the long run. Several
airlines even offer free sign-ups.
- Fly on a mid-weekday. Fridays and Mondays are the most expensive times to fly. And weekends are obviously in high demand. Tuesdays
and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly. Also, staying overnight on a Saturday can save you money, because then you'll get charged
an excursion rate, not a business rate.
- Try a consolidator. A consolidator is an intermediary company that buys tickets at a discount directly from the airline. You benefit
from their rates. However, while the consolidator industry has gained respect in recent years, be sure to use one that is reputable. Some
have gone out of business overnight, leaving customers in the lurch. One way to find consolidators is to look for the small advertisements
with 800 numbers they place in the travel section of any metropolitan newspaper. Some consolidators specialize in overseas flights while
others focus on the domestic market and still others do both. Some even give additional discounts to students. You also may want to ask
about cancellation charges as such tickets usually carry stiff penalties for changes or cancellations.
The Internet has created a whole new world for air travelers. It has given the traveller access to the same computer systems that
travel agents use. As a result, you have a lot of control over your time in the air. There are sites that will check the status of your
plane, check fares for you, e-mail you when fares in your price range pop up, let you comparison shop, and allow you to buy tickets from
the convenience of your home at 2 a.m.
The Internet is most often used as a research tool. Not everyone who finds their best rate online actually buys online, instead turning
to the airline or a travel agent. But buying online is a handy option for those who want to get it done as quickly as possible, given
that if you don't buy it now, the fare could be gone by tomorrow.
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