Is there REALLY a BEST TIME to buy Airline tickets?
Travelstart says YES.
There really is a science to buying air tickets at the best time. Have you ever noticed when searching for flights, that the first time you checked the price was cheaper, but now it’s gone up by a few hundred rands?
Or that the tickets during a certain month shoot up inexplicably?
Well, there really is a science to buying tickets and Travelstart* have figured out the formula for us all!
In fact, Shaun and I used it last week Tuesday to book tickets to Zanzibar in September and it worked!
EEEEEK!
OK so let’s break down this science.
What day should you log on to book tickets?
It seems that the cheapest day to book a domestic flight is typically a Tuesday, with Wednesday coming in second.
Work or Leisure?
If you’re travelling for leisure, it’s better to wait to book your flight in the afternoon. Prices tend to be cheaper than in the morning when many business travellers are booking flights on their company account.
Days to stay away from
In South Africa, Fridays and Sundays are the most expensive days to book domestic flights.
The most expensive months to travel in are December, January and July – with crowded planes, overbooked hotels and noisy airports, you’ll be competing for more than just cheap flights during these school holidays! Christmas (December) and Easter (April) holidays also see a surge in airfares.
For the past two years, Shaun and I have flown from Johannesburg to Cape Town in November which is actually a really great time to go – just before the December madness.
Keep in mind what events are happening when you fly – last year we flew to the Durban for the Durban July and as you can imagine the tickets were A LOT more expensive.
Where are South Africans visiting?
South Africans seem to LOVE Mauritius, Bali, Thailand and London, but there are some new locations that are becoming more popular to us including; Sri Lanka, New York, Seychelles, Mozambique, Windhoek, Dubai, Egypt, New Orleans, Vietnam and Turkey.
If you’re still wondering about which city to tick off your bucket list, you can get the most out of your buck by visiting any of these beautiful rand-friendly destinations.
Save on your trip to Thailand
If you are planning a trip to Thailand this year, then keep in mind that Wednesday morning is generally the best time to buy airline tickets.
Most discounted fares can be found between Sunday and Monday night, with many people taking advantage of these sales on Tuesday. However, you are very likely to find even further discounts right after midnight, making Wednesday 01:00 AM the golden hour to pounce on those tickets!
I have got some more first-time travel tips to Thailand for you here
Best time to visit Mauritius
How I wish I had read this Travelstart Best Time to go to Mauritius article before we booked our trip last year. We found a TOO good to be true deal (it was indeed too good to be true) to Mauritius in May.
May is the rainiest season in Mauritius – so that was a lesson well learned.
So there really is a formula that you can use to save money when you buy air tickets and below is the full Travelstart How to Guide you cannot live without.
Print this baby out and use it EVERY TIME you need to buy tickets and happy flying.
Cat
