10 tricks for saving on summer airfare

ByABC News
May 3, 2012, 5:27 AM

— -- If it seems like the airlines have a few new tricks up their sleeves this summer, it's not your imagination. The Department of Transportation (DOT) may have taken some of the sting out of deceptive pricing practices, but it hasn't done much to change the fact that summer airfare is expensive—or that the airlines are still being sneaky with their fare rules and restrictions. Whether it's new carry-on bag fees, hidden fuel surcharges, or coordinated price hikes for popular travel days, the airlines are always doing something to get hold of just a little more of your money.

Fight back with these 10 tips. Some are new, some are new twists on tried-and-true strategies, and some are specific to this summer. Altogether, they'll give you a fighting chance at taming the high cost of your summer flights.

Best day of the week to book

Don't let anyone tell you there's no "best day" to book airfare. There categorically is a best day (and a best time, too) for domestic flights—and that's Tuesday around 3:00 p.m. ET. It makes sense when you understand the process. Early Tuesday morning is when Southwest, AirTran, and sometimes JetBlue announce their new sales. It then takes a few hours for those creaky, lumbering behemoths known as the legacy carriers (American, Delta, United, and US Airways) to get around to matching the low-cost carriers' prices on the specific sale routes.

By midafternoon on the East Coast, the whole "fare war" machine is in full gear, giving you the best possible availability on multiple airlines competing for your business at the same sale prices. Most sales are good for 72 hours, from Tuesday through Thursday, so even if you can't purchase right at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, you'll still have a shot at the sale prices for a few more days—although you may have fewer low fares (and fewer airlines) to choose from.

Best days of the week to fly … except when they're not

The cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. This is sound advice year-round, but it's especially worth noting in the summer when prices skyrocket. But watch out, as even those midweek days can be extra-expensive when they fall on or around a holiday—such as Tuesday, July 3, this year.

How far in advance to book

When it comes to summer flights, the early bird usually gets the worm. Ideally, you should start shopping about three months in advance of your departure date if you're planning to travel on or around the highest air-traffic days (i.e., Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day). If you haven't started yet, you may have already lost out on the best deals for the first two holidays, but there's still time for that Labor Day trip. If you're not looking to travel right around the holidays, you should still be able to find a decent deal by booking about four to six weeks ahead of time.

Most summer airfare sales require a 21-day advance purchase, so waiting until the last minute is unlikely to save you money and will almost certainly cost you. The airlines have gone to great lengths in recent years to reduce capacity in order to make sure they're not flying planes with empty seats. Consequently, the seats that are available generally sell out. So don't play chicken with the airlines and hope for the best. You're at their mercy.

Pay attention to blackout dates