What Day/Time is Best to Check Airfare?

[robinb]

I just checked airfare again for my New Year's Eve dates and yikes! they are back up to $355-$500! I've read that a specific day and time is best to check airfares, but I can't remember when it is and the search function doesn't turn anything up. Does anyone remember? Thanks!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

It really depends on the airline.
This is the one time I use Travelocity or Expedia to check airfares.
They usually show the lowest available then I go to the specific airline website.

 

[julfre]

I read that midnight on Wednesday's is the time the fares change. I've never really seen this to be true.

I've yet to figure out any pattern. I've been watching fares, They had held steady at 328 for a week. yesterday they changed. I bought my ticket for 299 last night and this morning it was 333. It's for august so it is still a ways away Just pick a fare you think is good and buy it when the fare hits that number(I was looking for anything under 300)

 

[mishoe01]

I've never heard of a specific date/time for the airlines to change rates. I know I've been booking a reservation before and the airfare changed 3 times while I was on the phone. I've been told that the airlines can basically do what they want, when they want. Rates are also likely to change based on the availability of a particular flight, and the demand of that time period.

I've also been told that if you purchase a ticket today at $500 and you continue to check rates and the fares go down to $300....you can go to them and ask them to reissue your ticket at the lower fare---you would need to pay the airline change fee (right now $100 for most carriers), but you would then get a refund of the remainder. Not sure if this is still the practice, and I've never tried this, but it sounds good.

 

[cruise-o-matic]

I got my tix thru Delta.com. I kept checking the site and when our flight itenerary was posted at a lower price I called.

The first time this happened, they couldn't give me the web price b/c that's not what they could quote over the phone.

I kept checking and they went down in price again. This time, the phone rep had this price and they issued the difference in vouchers. No penalty. So now I have $78 towards the next set of tickets

 

[CarolA]

In the "old" days when most of the fare calculations were computed by hand there were good and bad days. Now with the technology the airlines can costantly adjust based on what sales are doing.

However, airlines are competetive so if you live in a SW city or other city where the airline announces deals one day a week check just after that on all the airlines.

 

[MK Familystone]

HI ALL!
I just got my E-mail from SWA RR 8am tuesday which in general is my reference when looking for the best deal.
Then I surf the Airline Sites looking an equivalent rate ,
if I find a better time of departure but higher price ,I call the airline direct and mention that the fare on SWA or who ever is cheaper.
Sometimes they match or offer a lower fare, because while you are on the phone they verify the rate on their computer, so make sure your info is accurate.
I use to call Delta AL at 1205am est. on thursday the Midnight Shift of Agents were very accomodating to fill my flight requirements and fare rate.
There is a theory that Wens night the Airlines will have a handle on what they need to discount for the weekend therefore the cheaper fare draws the future flyer sooner in turn opens seats on future flights.

"HAPPY FARE HUNTING!!!"

and remember :

"THE MAGIC HAPPENS!!!"

 

[MrsG]

I heard never to book on a weekend, but when I booked at Delta the fares went down on a Sunday - I booked anyway, positive they would continue to decline- but they were back up on Monday morning and have stayed high ever since.

I think all the logic has gone out the window. When you see a fare you can live with, book it.

 

[caverill]

I think the last piece of advise was the best...If you get a price you can live with, book it.

Since we are DVC owners, we book our vacations way in advance.

I then start checking the prices weekly or twice a week. I record the prices and when I see one that I think is good, I book it.

It is pretty amazing to me the price differences that happen during the year. I have no idea how the airlines set their prices.

When gas was very high, the price of tickets for our next trip went down.

Good luck!

 

[bubbasmom99]

Does anyone else have any experience with Delta and ticket changes? I was under the impression that the $100 change fee was firm... I'd gladly take vouchers for the difference.

 

[Dznypal]

watching the rates go from $215 to $268

I got Midwest from Milwaukee this is non stop and 725 am leave to go down and 650pm coming back

for $177!!!!!

but this gets better---

my mom said she had a ticket for Midwest since my sister's niece was supposed to come from NC last summer but got grounded so she couldn't..

soooo my mom said for the $100 name change fee we could have the ticket!!!

so Im figuring you pay the $100 up front and they reissue the ticket.

boy was I wrong!!! I called the airlines and they said I needed a letter from my mom saying it was ok that I have the ticket and they take the fee off the value of the ticket and reissue the ticket in the new name so the ticket was worth $210 so that made the ticket $110 so Im still figuring I owe $177 for the other ticket

wrong again!!!

they took the $110 that was "left" and put it for my other ticket!!!

How they came up with this I'll never understand!!! but I paid $67 for 2 round trip tickets!!!!

still it should have really been $267 if we owed my wonderful mom for the ticket she was just glad someone could usse it!!!

 

[macraven]

robinb have you tried qixo.com to compare the airline rates for your date?

i fly either mitchell field or ohare. i go with the best rates but preferably the time for flights are more important to me.

going spirit air in oct for $137 rt. certain days of the week are cheaper than others with this airline.
flew midwest before and found the early or late flights cheaper.

spirit posted a special today, fly out of certain cities (chgo one of them) to orlando on july 4 for $39.

raven

 

[robinb]

Thanks for the tip on qixo.com. I used it in the past, but I have been using ITA (http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch/) which is the search engine for Orbitz.

*sigh*

This is a pain. My husband didn't want to fly out of Chicago when I found Spirit Air for only $175 RT. I hate flying over Christmas/New Years. Everything is so expensive!

 

[ttichenor]

I check almost daily using www.sidestep.com

It puts an icon on your desktop and click on it, insert your date and the rates pop out, without popup ads, junk mail etc.

The good thing about this website is that it includes Southwest, which has a good Nashville base.