I have been booking travel for PMG for nearly two years now. Along the way I’ve learned some tips that I will gladly share with you today. These are (in my opinion) the top 5 things you need to know before booking your next trip:
1. Book on Tuesday at 3:00pm EST.
According to a study by Farecompare.com pricing is at it’s best during this time each week. I can’t argue with the experts.
2. Sometimes it’s best to mix and match.
I often find taking one way on American and one way on Delta for example will save a ton of money. It’s absolutely worth looking at Kayak.com or Travelocity to check out all your options.
3. You must become a frequent flier!
This is great for two reasons. First, you can’t make a typo while entering crucial information like your name or date of birth because it’s already saved in the system under your number. We know from experience you do not want even one letter to be wrong! Second, you get rewarded! It doesn’t take long to start earning Main Cabin Extra seats at no extra charge and you also earn miles to book your next vacation. No brainer!
4. Always try to avoid those last minute purchases.
To explain this in more detail Cheapair.com has divided the typical booking window of a flight into 5 booking “zones” which we are labeling “First Dibs” (6 ½ – 11 months out); “Peace of Mind” (3 ½ – 6 ½ months out); the “Prime Booking Window” (3 weeks – 3 ½ months out); the “Push Your Luck” (14 – 20 days out); and “Hail Mary” (0 – 13 days out).
5. Be flexible with your flight times.
Early morning flights are typically less than mid-morning flights. I’ve found most people in our office would rather wake up early and beat the traffic on the highway and the lines at the airport anyway.