There are plenty of articles on the internet about the “best day” to buy a flight ticket and most of them are invention. Tickets do not get cheaper at three in the morning on a Wednesday, and searching in private mode does not change the price. The truth is simpler and rests on a single principle: the airline is trying to fill the aircraft and moves the price accordingly. Below I have written that logic and how to use it.
Why the price of a flight ticket changes
On every flight the tickets are divided into several fare classes. In the cheapest class there are only a few seats, and when they are sold the system moves to the next class and the price rises. That is, a ticket gets more expensive not because time has passed but because the cheap seats have run out. This explains why the same flight can appear at two different prices in one day.
A week or two before the flight the price rises sharply, because a person buying then usually has no choice and the company knows it. Conversely, very early, a year ahead for instance, is not the cheapest price either, because the cheap classes have not yet opened.
When to buy the flight ticket
| Nearby destinations | Istanbul, Tbilisi, Moscow: 3–6 weeks ahead |
| Europe | 2–4 months ahead |
| Long haul | Asia, America: 3–6 months ahead |
| Summer and holidays | Add 1–2 months to the usual lead time |
These ranges are an average, not a law. The main rule is this: follow the price for a few weeks and buy when it drops below the average level. Waiting for the perfect moment usually costs more. To follow the movement of ticket prices, checking the same route on several consecutive days is enough.
Play with the dates, not the route
The biggest saving comes from changing the date. Thursday and Sunday flights are expensive, because demand is high. Tuesday and Wednesday, meanwhile, are usually the cheapest days. Shifting a day forward or back sometimes wins you a hundred euros.
The second method is to look at nearby airports. Milan has three airports, London five, Paris three. Add the cost of getting to the city and then compare, because a cheap ticket sometimes ends in an expensive transfer. A transit option is cheaper than a direct flight, but add the time lost to the budget.
Read more: A Turkey travel guide: Istanbul, Antalya, Cappadocia, the Black Sea and the thermal resorts
The hidden costs of a cheap flight ticket
The figure on the screen is not always the final figure. With low-cost airlines the baggage, the seat selection and even check-in are paid for separately. A ten-kilogram hand bag is free with some companies and costs forty euros with others. When you add these on, a cheap ticket sometimes comes out dearer than an ordinary one.
Look at the refund conditions too. The cheapest fares are generally non-refundable and changing the date requires a penalty. If the visa is not yet ready, that is a serious risk, because when the visa is delayed the ticket is lost. The rules can also be read on the State Civil Aviation Agency site.
The final check before buying a ticket
Look at the passport’s validity; many countries require at least six months after the date of entry. The spelling of the name must be letter for letter the same as in the passport, as a later correction costs money. Check whether you need a visa in the transit country, because at some airports you are required to leave the zone.
In summary
Buying a flight ticket is not a matter of hidden tricks but of demand and dates. Start looking two to four months ahead for Europe and three to six for long haul, play with the dates, add the hidden costs on. To fit the visa date to the ticket date, fill in the application form.
Note: the prices and rules in this article apply to the date of publication, so check the airline’s terms when you buy the ticket.
