JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – When it comes to traveling nobody wants to spend more than they have to, especially when it comes to flights.
While it turns out there’s actually no best day of the week to book a flight, Scott Keyes with Scott’s Cheap Flights said there are other ways to save money.
Specifically, if you’re looking to get away for spring break.
"Couple of recommendations for spring break. First, don’t wait much longer to book your flights. Spring break is about a month away depending on and it tends to be the last few weeks before a flight the price doesn’t go down like it used to years ago, the price actually jacks up, and sometimes way up,” Keyes said.
Keyes said that’s because airlines know that business travelers are the main ones buying those last minute flights. More often than not when the company is paying, price is not a factor.
Keyes recommends for those trying to save money for spring break, book some time in the next week.
“Oftentimes airlines have a 21-day purchase requirement. They say the cheapest fares are only available up to 21 days before departure. So if you book on day 20 it’s going to be a couple of hundred dollars more than if you booked on day 21,” said Keyes.
Keyes recommends travelers take a look at the calendar and count 21 days before planned departure. But once the tickets are booked, Keyes says don’t stop monitoring those flight prices.
“Oftentimes a better flight either a cheaper flight or a flight with a better route will pop up right after a really good deal that you booked happens,” he said.
That’s because every airline is monitoring what the other one offers which can sometimes create a bidding war.
Here’s the good news.
“You automatically get the protections of the 24-hour rule which says from the moment you hit purchase you have 24 hours without any penalty,” Keyes said.
This rule only applies if the flight was bought directly from the airline and the flight is more than a week out.
So even when you think you found the best deal, it might just get better if you’re willing to put in the work.