Cheap Airfare Dates to Keep on Your Radar
Heading to Europe? These are the key departure dates to keep in mind.
— -- Time to put away those fruitcake tins and start dreaming of warmer weather because vacation season isn't far away. A little planning now could save serious coin down the road.
The most important thing to keep in mind? Departure dates.
Spring Break Travel
These week-long vacation periods vary from late February to early April depending on school calendars of your region. Trust me, the airlines know all the dates because it's their first chance to charge hefty airfare prices since the holidays. But even though specific dates will vary, there is a formula to follow for all Spring Break weeks that will cut your costs:
- DO NOT fly Saturday to Saturday, Sunday to Sunday or any weekend-to-weekend combination.
- DO fly Tuesday to Saturday.
A Tuesday departure followed by a Saturday return will mean missing out on a couple of days at the beach but you are rewarded with savings of up to 50 percent on airfare (and sometimes even more).
Trips to Europe, Other International Flights
These are the key departure dates to keep in mind for flights from the U.S. to cities in Europe, and vice versa.
The first two dates are cheaper by 15 to 30 percent than the days that immediately follow, and the August date is 15 to 30 percent cheaper than the day before. Additional savings will be enjoyed by limited West Coast and Northeast cities thanks to Norwegian Air Shuttle 787 flights which can knock an additional 20 to 30 percent off ticket prices.Airfare for Europe trips is governed by well-defined seasons, and the above dates are right on the cusp of seasonal price changes: March 12 is the last day of the winter season, while May 15 is the last day of lower spring prices. This is followed by the peak prices of summer which end with the start of the fall season on Aug. 23. Note: If booking flights to Asia, you may find roughly similar savings during seasonal price break-points but compare fares to determine specific dates.
Summer Vacation
It's too early to shop for domestic flights for summer because the airlines have not yet begun actively managing these prices. If you do buy now, you'll likely pay a mid-range price which will not be the best possible deal.
- When to start shopping for tickets: About three months before you plan to fly.
- When to buy tickets: Have your purchase completed about 30 days before the trip.
For flights to international destinations, you can shop five months ahead of time, and wrap up your ticket purchase about a month-and-a-half before take-off.
For Spring Break trips, you can shop right now. See? Winter didn't last very long at all.
