As the peak summer travel season comes to an end, it’s time for National Cheap Flight Day.
But don’t let the misleading name fool you into rushing into booking your next trip.
“There is no specific day when flights are cheapest,” Katy Nastro, travel expert at Going, tells CNBC Make. “That’s just not the case.”
Instead, Nastro says the best time to book air travel is always relative to your planned flight date. This period of time, during which the best prices can be found, is known as the Goldilocks window.
The name comes from the fact that it is not too far from your travel date, but not too close either. For domestic travel, the Goldilocks window is between one and three months before your flight, while for international flights, it is between two and eight months before your trip.
But finding cheap flights is about more than just timing. Here are three travel expert-approved tips for National Cheap Flights Day.
1. Practice, practice, practice
If you know you want to take a trip this year but aren’t ready to buy the tickets, don’t let that stop you from checking flights. Doing this regularly in the weeks or months before booking can help you get your bearings and set your expectations for how much you want to pay.
Nastro recommends using search sites like Google Flights, Skyscanner and Momondo to compare prices.
“It doesn’t matter where you look, as long as you get a good selection of these flights from several different areas,” she says. “That way, you get a better understanding of what these airfares look like each week and each month.”
Gemma Jamieson, senior global PR manager at Skyscanner, says taking the time to research can save you money in the long run.
“Airlines are very clever about pricing and competing with each other. They look at data, they look at traveler behavior, and they figure out where they can be extremely competitive,” she says. “If you compare a little more, go a little further, and shop around just a little bit longer than you normally would, you could save a ton of money.”
2. Don’t hesitate
The biggest mistake you can make when looking for cheap flights is waiting until the last second in the hope that the flight you want will drop in price. This is especially true if you are just starting to search for vacation travel.
“Airfares tend to go up, especially as we approach peak season,” says Nastro. “During the holidays, you really want to avoid last-minute bookings.”
She wants to dispel the widespread misconception that airlines add new flights at the last minute just because an existing ticket is sold out.
“It doesn’t really work that way,” says Nastro. “There aren’t endless replacement flights that you can simply add to the flight schedule.”
3. Flexibility saves money
If you don’t have a specific destination or travel date, this is your best chance of finding the cheapest flight price.
“If you’re able to, the best way to save money is to keep an open mind,” says Jamieson. “People who have kept an open mind in the past have driven the rise of destinations like Croatia, which is now a sort of European summer holiday classic.”
Likewise, Nastro says, “Flexibility will be your best friend if you are looking for a really cheap flight.”
Once you know where and when you need to fly, it’s best to be flexible with your airline choice. If you limit yourself to airlines where you have points or status, you could miss out on not only better fares but also cheaper flight times.
“If you limit yourself to just one or two specific airlines, you’re missing out on some really great fares,” she says. “I understand that people have preferences, but if your goal is to find cheap flights, it can really help you broaden your horizons.”
Jamieson recommends checking not only round-trip flights, but also one-way flights in each direction to see if there are other airlines with better fares.
“Explore your options,” Jamieson recommends. “Split your trip a little bit so that you’re not necessarily flying out on the same airline that you’re flying back on.”
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