The hunt for cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages is never ending. Savvy travelers check out travel internet sites for the cheapest fares. Two of the factors that affect the prices you see are when you look and when you actually purchase your tickets.
Unfortunately there is no set amount of time prior to departure that always yields the cheapest fares. Travel experts have found that recent history (over the last four years) shows the best time to purchase airline tickets for travel over the July 4th holiday is between one to two months prior to travel.
For travel over Labor Day the best prices were found three to four weeks prior to travel. Prices rose 10 percent from their cheapest level for travelers purchasing tickets one to two weeks prior to departure and were 30 percent more when purchased less than a week out.
Generally speaking it is smart to purchase airline tickets well in advance (usually at least two months prior to traveling) for travel over the most popular holidays: Christmas, Memorial Day and Thanksgiving. Other times of the year, it may be worth gambling (mind you, there are no guarantees) to find cheaper prices closer to your travel date.
Traveling on over less busy weekends often results in cheaper prices.
Customers looking to get the most out of their travel dollars should remember that reserving a hotel at the same time an airline ticket is purchased (i.e., as part of the same reservation) often saves travelers hundreds of dollars, depending on the length and price of their trip.