Even though the price of airfare has been steadily decreasing over the past year, traveling by air is still a big purchase for most people. This means most of us are willing to do a little extra research to find best deal we can. But there are so many sites, airlines, and memberships to keep track of, it can be difficult to know where to start. Lucky for you, I’ve assembled my top tips for finding the best deals, so you can get the best price on your next airline ticket.

1. YOUR GUIDE TO FINDING THE
CHEAPEST AIRLINE TICKETS
BY MICKAEL MARSALI
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2. BOOK IN ADVANCE, BUT NOT TOO IN ADVANCE.
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The ideal window for buying a ticket is approximately 27-114 days
(1 – 4 months) in advance of your trip, with the best day on average
(at least for domestic flights) being 47 days prior to take off.
buying more in advance than that does not actually provide any
extra price discount. In fact, at 320 days out when Cheapair started
keeping track of purchases, average fares were about $50 higher
than their low point.

3. KNOW WHEN TO BUY… AND WHEN NOT TO BUY.
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The worst day to buy? According to the Wall Street Journal,
average prices for tickets bought on Friday are 13% higher than on
Sunday, according to their recent analysis of tickets sold world-
wide over the course of 2015.
An Expedia/ARC report found that the best days to buy were
weekends and Tuesdays.

4. KNOW WHEN TO FLY.
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The cheapest days to fly? Tuesdays/Wednesdays.
Leaving mid-week has shown to have it’s price advantages. Next
time you’re looking to take a week off, aim for Tuesday through
the next Tuesday, and you could save yourself a pretty penny.

5. SIGN UP FOR TRAVEL ALERTS.
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Data, trends, and findings aside, you really can never tell when a
random spike or drop in prices may hit. All the data we have
discussed is based on averages, and averages are filled with
outliers.
Sign up with a travel tracker like SkyScanner or AirfareWatchdog
and be ready to buy when they notify you of a particularly low
price.

6. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR FLASH SALES.
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Pick the top 3 airlines you generally fly with and sign up for their
email newsletter or text notifications. While getting promotional
emails can sometimes seem like a pain, these ones are well worth
it. Flash sales can save you up to half off the normal cost of your
ticket.
While the biggest savings are generally in business and first class,
coach deals often save 25% too. Just make sure you’re ready to
buy quick; these sales don’t usually last more than a day or two, at
most.

7. CHECK YOUR EXISTING MEMBERSHIPS.
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Organizations and like AARP and AAA regularly offer airline
discounts to members. Check with them directly for specific
details on discounts you’re eligible for.

8. SIGN UP FOR A CREDIT CARD THAT EARNS YOU
POINTS.
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One savings tip a lot of people forget is the fact that having a credit
card that gives you points with every purchase (usually more for
dining and travel) can be earning you dollars towards your travel
year round.
Why not have every dollar you’re already spending go towards
your next trip?

9. GET A QUOTE FROM AN AIRLINE CONSOLIDATOR.
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Airlines give consolidators special access to discounted fares for
domestic first class, international business, and international first
class. Although they might claim to be able to save you up to 75%,
the discounts are rarely that good. However, you can still get about
50% off a lot of the time.
Try AccessFares, Regal Wings and Wholesale Flights. Typically
you will have to fill out a form to get an actual quote back on any
individual ticket price.