Why Do Airline Ticket Prices Vacillate?
Airfares are always fluctuating, regardless of the time or season. Ticket costs can change several times a day based on demand, algorithms, and predictive models.
The cause of this volatility is dynamic pricing, a practice used by airlines to maximize profit. Airlines can manipulate fares based on seats sold and how quickly they sell. For example, if a flight from New York to Paris in July is filling up quickly, algorithms will raise prices to capitalize on buyer demand. If seats remain open a few weeks before departure, the system will most likely lower prices to boost sales and fill seats for that flight.
Days of the week, time of day, and even the device used to search for flights are also factors in calculating the price. A 2016 study by the Wall Street Journal found that prices can vary depending on whether you book from a mobile device or a desktop computer. I can attest to that difference firsthand as well. Sometimes I have seen cheaper tickets on one device and then when I look on another device, the tickets are more expensive.. Once I was so frustrated with all the fluctuations, I called the number and booked my flight via phone.
The first rule for finding a cheap flight is understanding that ticket prices are not fixed. This is why timing is so important. For example, I booked a flight this year to the same location I went last year and paid $75 more. When I reviewed my records, I noticed that last year I had purchased the flight 2 months earlier than I did this year, which could account for the higher ticket price. Timing is critical in finding the best prices for your flight.
Best Days to Book and Travel
The most important factor regarding ticket prices is knowing the best time to book a flight. According to data from Hopper, a travel app that helps you save money on flights, the best time to book domestic travel is between 21 and 60 days before departure. For international flights, three to six months in advance is recommended..
Studies from CheapAir and Expedia have suggested that Tuesday and Wednesday are the cheapest days to book flights, with Sunday often being the most expensive. Meanwhile, departing on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday tends to result in lower fares than flying on Fridays or Sundays, when leisure and business travelers are most active. Make sure you put Tuesdays and Wednesdays in your calendar to book flights and to fly, if at all possible!
For popular travel periods like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or summer holidays, prices skyrocket earlier. We recommend booking three to four months ahead of time for these occasions to secure the cheapest flights.
Search Engines and Booking Apps
No one wants to visit ten different airline websites just to compare prices. To think that is what many of us used to do before the rise in popularity of flight search engines and booking apps!
Platforms like Google Flights, Skyscanner, Hopper, and Momondo have become essential tools in the modern traveler’s toolkit. Google Flights offers one of the most comprehensive interfaces, with predictive pricing tools and visual maps that let you explore destinations based on budget. Hopper, on the other hand, uses machine learning to analyze historical price data and tells you whether to buy now or wait for a better deal. As a GenX traveler, I religiously used Hotwire until I needed to know the arrival and departure, at which point I switched to Priceline.com.
Skyscanner and Momondo search smaller regional carriers and foreign travel agencies, often revealing prices that do not appear on mainstream sites. These platforms also allow you to set alerts, so you are notified when prices drop for your selected routes.
For travelers flexible with dates or destinations, using tools like Google Flights’ “Explore” feature or Skyscanner’s “Everywhere” search can surface deals you might never have considered. For example, someone looking to go to Europe might discover that flying into Madrid and taking a budget carrier to Paris could save hundreds of dollars compared to booking directly.
Are You Flexible?
Flexibility is key and by far the most effective tactic in finding cheaper flights. The more you can broaden your travel window, the more options are available for lower fares.
Let us say you want to visit Tokyo in October. If your only requirement is arriving sometime mid-month, you can scan prices across a range of dates. Often, flying on a Tuesday instead of a Friday can save $100 or more. Red-eye flights and early morning departures also tend to be less expensive.
Flexibility also applies to airports. Large metropolitan areas often have multiple options: New York has JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark; Los Angeles has LAX, Burbank, and Long Beach. Expanding your search to include alternate airports can unlock cheaper options, particularly for international flights.
Travel experts like Scott Keyes of Going.com often recommend what he calls “the Greek island trick.” Rather than searching for flights to your exact final destination, search for the cheapest way to get to the general region, then use budget carriers or trains for the last leg. For example, if Santorini is expensive, fly to Athens and take a ferry.
Hidden City Ticketing and Error Fares
One of the strategies some travelers use is called “hidden city ticketing.” With hidden city ticketing, a traveler books a flight with a layover in their actual destination and skips the final leg.. Sites like Skiplagged have popularized this method, which can sometimes cut fares dramatically.
However, this approach comes with caveats. Airlines disapprove of the tactic, and if you skip a segment of your itinerary, they may cancel the rest of your trip. Therefore, you may want to check the terms and conditions before attempting this. Also, it only works for one-way tickets without checked bags, since those go to the final destination.
Another phenomenon to watch for is error fares. Error fares are glitches in airline pricing systems that temporarily list flights at a fraction of their normal cost. Websites like Secret Flying and Airfarewatchdog track these and alert users in real time. In 2022, a widely publicized glitch allowed travelers to book round-trip business-class tickets from the United States to Asia for under $500.
Airlines may or may not honor error fares. Some cancel the tickets, others honor them to save face. Either way, they represent an opportunity for alert travelers to snag a deal that seems too good to be true, because sometimes it is. Again, make sure you have read the fine print before flying. You should not have to pay the consequences due to their error.
Using Points and Miles
Some people can fly at very low rates and in some cases for free due to frequent flyer miles and credit card points. If you have not tapped into this strategy yet, there is no better time than the present.
Major carriers belong to global alliances such as Oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam, allowing you to earn and redeem points across a wide network. For instance, flying on Lufthansa could earn you United MileagePlus points. Those points could later be used to book a flight on Air Canada.
Credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the American Express Platinum often offer massive welcome bonuses, which can be redeemed through transfer partners for outsized value. According to The Points Guy, using miles for international business class flights tends to yield the highest return per point.
To avoid missing out, always sign up for an airline’s loyalty program—even if you only fly with them once. You can consolidate miles later using programs like Points.com or by focusing your travel within a single alliance.
Travel Alerts and Fare Trackers
Airfare deals rarely last long; as we previously shared, there are no fixed ticket prices. Real-time alerts provide an advantage if you want immediate access to cheap flights.
Email subscriptions like Scott’s Cheap Flights (now Going), FareDrop, or Dollar Flight Club scan for deals and send alerts customized to your home airport. These services do much of the heavy lifting, filtering out poor routes, inconvenient layovers, or questionable travel agencies.
For more hands-on control, Google Flights and Hopper allow you to set your fare tracking. You will receive a notification when prices change, and in some cases, predictive tools will suggest how likely it is that prices will go up or down in the coming weeks.
The key is responsiveness. Many of the best deals disappear in a matter of hours, especially for international routes. Have your passport ready and a travel window in mind so you can move quickly when an alert lands in your inbox.
Psychological Warfare with Airfares
Psychological marketing is a powerful tool, and its usage in the travel industry is no exception. Airlines and booking engines use everything from countdown timers to limited-seat messaging to influence when and how you book.
For example, showing a banner that reads “Only 2 seats left at this price!” creates urgency, even if it is based on algorithmic estimates. I admit that message has caused me to pull out my credit card and make that ticket purchase. Similarly, price anchoring, a common marketing practice where an inflated initial fare is slashed by 40 percent, can trick people into thinking they are getting a deal even though the price is high.
Knowing that marketers work with airlines to influence your purchases allows you to be informed as to when and what you buy. Clear your cookies or search in incognito mode to avoid price increases based on browsing history. Avoiding impulse buys is critical; make sure you are getting the best deal possible. Finally, make sure to verify the total cost of the flight, including taxes, baggage fees (if applicable), before buying your ticket
The more you treat airfare like a game of chess instead of roulette, the more likely you are to walk away with a cheap flight to your destination.
TL;DR: Key Takeaways for Finding Cheap Flights
- Book domestic flights 3 to 8 weeks ahead, international flights 3 to 6 months ahead
- Use tools like Priceline, Google Flights, Skyscanner, Expedia and Momondo for the widest range of prices
- Be flexible with your dates, airports, and even destinations
- Watch for hidden city ticketing and error fares, but read the fine print
- Set fare alerts through Google Flights, Going, or Dollar Flight Club
- Use points and miles, focusing on airline alliances and transfer partners
- Avoid falling for manipulative booking tactics like scarcity messaging
- Clear cookies or use incognito mode to avoid dynamic pricing traps
Cheap flights are available to all travelers, you just have to know where, when, and how to find them. Implementing some of these strategies and tools in your airline search will help you find cheaper flights whenever you choose to travel.
