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Is there a best day to book an international flight? a best day to fly?

Is there a best day to book an international flight? a best day to fly?

Old Feb 6th, 2017, 02:26 PM
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Is there a best day to book an international flight? a best day to fly?

Every year new information seems to come out on this subject of choosing the best day to book and the best day to fly. I am inquiring in regards to getting the best price for international travel. Do most people agree that it really doesn't matter and that when one finds a price one feels comfortable with they should just book it? And not wait?
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Old Feb 6th, 2017, 02:58 PM
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There are lots of urban legends out there on this subject but the truth is that airfares are generated by airlines using extremely complex "yield management" algorithms that weigh many factors - history, demand, competition, internal costs... and umpteen others. Fares are adjusted "dynamically" - that is, in response to constant feedback and evaluation, and they can (and do) change sometimes as often as every day, or even more than once in one day, depending on how the market and that flight in particular, is doing.

There's no way we as consumers can out-think or anticipate what these programs will do. So yes, look at the route and dates you want to fly and watch fares for a little while, just to get a sense of the dynamics. But then when you see a price you can live with, book it and don't worry about it further. There are some services with a "low price guarantee" but read the fine print with these very carefully and you'll see it isn't always what you think.

Bear in mind that sometimes airlines don't have a handle on their own costs 11 months out (when bookings open) so they will hedge on prices at the beginning to make sure that something like a sudden increase in oil prices doesn't turn a profit-making ticket into a losing one. Then prices might fall before rising again close to flight date. Sometimes early birds don't get worms, they get cats.

As always, flexibility helps, as does common sense. But there are no super secrets; if there were the airlines would step in and make them go away.
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Old Feb 6th, 2017, 03:17 PM
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Thank you for taking the time to answer both my questions in such an intelligent, thorough manner.
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Old Feb 7th, 2017, 11:00 AM
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As gardyloo says it's a complex model but I book a lot flights and just from my experience I have found Wednesday's often have the best prices

Of course there are times such as school holidays when the prices go through the roof
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Old Feb 7th, 2017, 08:11 PM
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Sign up with airfarewatchdog.com to receive their emails about fares (you sign up for specific routes), and when you get a heads-up about a fare that seems unbeatable, based on what you've been seeing all along, pounce before it evaporates.

You'll delete dozens and dozens of emails before you get a jackpot.

Once a week or so check with Google Flights and www.itasoftware.com (now a part of Google, may go away anytime soon), and get a sense of what fares are "normal", then when a cheap one comes along, you'll know that it's cheap.
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Old Feb 7th, 2017, 11:44 PM
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I travel internationally in the "off-season" and tend to get the best deals all around.

Another "Airfare Legend" is that airlines post new fares/deals after midnight on Tuesday.. Hence as "Geordie" posted:

"I have found Wednesday's often have the best prices"
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Old Feb 8th, 2017, 05:20 AM
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Would that be Wednesday mornings in New York? In Mumbai? Auckland?

The technical term for this is "malarkey."
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Old Feb 8th, 2017, 07:28 AM
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Old Feb 8th, 2017, 09:21 PM
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In the airline business.. "It's Always Wednesday Somewhere"..
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Old Feb 9th, 2017, 03:24 PM
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Domestic flights can have a different dynamic than trans-ocean flights. A lot of the tactics are guesswork that can come true occasionally but not enough to prove that they can be depended on. What does affect long-distance international travel prices is the month of travel; trans-Atlantic from North America in October can offer more chance of a lower price than in July.
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Old Feb 10th, 2017, 09:07 AM
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I too have found departing Wednesdays from New York area (Newark) gives me a better price. However, this all depends on time of year and where you are going. I always travel in "shoulder" season or off season. Between JFK and EWR, JFK tends to have better prices for international travel, but the savings are not worth it for me to make that trek in traffic.

There are too many factors to consider when purchasing an air fare, so you have to do the leg work and decide what is the most you are willing to pay. Once you commit on a price, do not look back.

Good luck in your search.
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