When is it profitable to buy plane tickets? This question is by no means idle. After all, depending on how many days before departure the ticket is purchased, its cost changes, sometimes by fifty percent. If you want to travel the world cheaply, you need to know the secrets of airlines. In this article we will introduce you to some of them. To begin with, let’s break down the general problem, which can be formulated as a question: “Where can I get a cheap air ticket?” into several parts. Let's call the first one: “Who should I fly with?”, the second - “When to travel?”, the third - “How long before departure should I buy a ticket?” and, finally, the fourth - “Where and how to buy a seat on an airplane?” You can also take care of subsequent movements around the planet - you love to travel, don’t you? Let’s formulate the question this way: “How can I make the next ticket cheaper than the previous one?” Well, now let’s try to solve the problems assigned to us.

Airlines: what are they?

To a person who does not travel much, it may seem that air transport is a kind of monolith with uniform prices that depend only on the mileage of the flight. But this is not true at all. There are many carrier companies in the world, and there is competition between them, which it would be a sin for the average passenger not to take advantage of. So, the highest cost of services is provided by reputable companies that deservedly enjoy the reputation of being comfortable for travel. They provide brand new and ultra-modern cars for regular flights, the interior of which is divided into several classes. On board you will be offered a variety of food and drinks - completely free of charge. You won’t be bored either: a screen is built into the back of the chair in front, and you can watch movies or play electronic games. A blanket and pillow are provided for overnight flights. But all these delights of travel can only be enjoyed when the air ticket (we did not consider cheap options) is too expensive.

Not very burdensome on the pocket airlines

And if we are looking for a budget option, it’s worth finding out what low-cost airlines are. These are discount companies that offer cheap air tickets. The cost reduction occurs due to cuts in services. Such airliners take off and land at secondary airports, the cabin has the same class for everyone, there is no food on board, and sometimes they take up seats, like on a bus. Low-cost airlines impose baggage restrictions and such flights are often delayed. You cannot return tickets or change your travel date. But is this really so important when you can fly from Moscow to Beijing for nine thousand three hundred rubles?

Another option is to go on a budget trip with a charter. Travel companies chip in to hire a plane for the flight. Of course, they are interested in implementing the entire tour package. But if there are no people willing to buy it, and the departure time is approaching, then, in order not to incur losses, companies throw out only air tickets for sale. Charters also have their downsides. Such flights are carried out only to popular tourist places and “in season”, and they will deliver you profitable plane tickets the day before departure. But if you want to go to Greece in the summer or Thailand in the winter, then why not try to make friends with charters?

Choosing travel time

If your vacation does not depend on the will of the employer, and you can decide for yourself when to go to the resort, consider yourself lucky. And the point here is not at all about the feeling of freedom. By skillfully exploiting the servitude of others, you can purchase profitable air tickets. Most people go on vacation on Friday and return on Sunday to start work on Monday morning. But if you are a “free artist”, travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Even with expensive airlines, tickets for these weekdays are twenty percent cheaper than for weekends. The time of day when the flight takes place is also of great importance. Most people don't like arriving in an unfamiliar country late at night. Some people do not tolerate night flights well. And it’s quite difficult to get to the airport for a flight leaving at six in the morning. Therefore, companies reduce prices for such tickets. When there are few people willing to travel in a given direction, carriers announce discounts. At the beginning or end of the tourist season, you can fly to the country of your dreams, spending much less money than at the very peak.

When is it profitable to buy plane tickets?

Many Russians, relying on the notorious “maybe”, begin planning their vacation a month before it starts. And they act very carelessly! We need to take an example from the Europeans, whose schedule is scheduled six months in advance. But most people are careless - and carriers take advantage of this. When the sale of tickets for a certain date is announced, their price is quite low. It's time to take advantage of this. Three months before the flight departure is when it is profitable to buy plane tickets! The closer the start time, the higher the price. It is growing day by day. But not to infinity. The price reaches its peak two to three weeks before departure. But in the last seven days it has tended to decrease. When an air carrier sees that the cabin is not one hundred percent full and time is running out, it announces various promotions such as “Last Minute Ticket” or “Last Minute”. These offers are very tasty - provided you live out of your suitcases, ready to start today.

Direct or connecting flights: which one to choose?

It is only at first glance that one ticket costs less than two. In air transport, pricing follows a different logic. Most people want to get to their destination as quickly as possible. Therefore, direct flights are highly valued. But why buy a seat on a plane on the Moscow - Phuket route, when it is more profitable to buy plane tickets from the Russian capital to Hong Kong, and from there to a Thai island? The docking time can be very different - from an hour to a day. Choose flights from the same company if possible. She will be responsible if you miss the next plane. And, by the way, it is better to buy tickets there and back. It will be cheaper this way, and you won’t have any problems with border guards (in the case of international flights).

"Stopover" - what is it?

This option became available relatively recently. When it is profitable to buy plane tickets for connecting flights, why not stay at the transit point to explore it? A stopover is when you stay in city C, traveling between airports A and B, for a period of one to three days. Many air carriers provide this opportunity absolutely free, sometimes for a modest price. But the stopover option gives you a chance to add another country to your tourist experience. Experienced travelers advise choosing this point C. There, there are even free bus tours around the city for transit passengers. And the airport itself is an extremely comfortable place to stay.

E-ticket

We've already covered the question of when is the best time to buy air tickets, now it's time to discuss where to buy them. The pricing of any product includes a percentage that the seller takes for himself. The airline hires an office and pretty girls to issue paper tickets. Rent and remuneration to employees is paid by the passenger who purchases a travel document from them. But smart people are hunting for airline seats online. There the ticket is sold without a sales agent's markup. The option of purchasing online provides the passenger with many advantages. You won't lose your ticket. You can book your own seat in the cabin. When you come to check-in, you won't have to stand in a long line of passengers. You simply present a printout along with your passport. You can even order your own meals on board from the menu list!

Where is the best place to buy plane tickets?

Each airline has its own website. If we already asked ourselves the question “where is it profitable to buy a plane ticket,” then let’s look there and compare prices. As mentioned above, they differ depending on the days of the week of departure and even the time of day. Sometimes airlines - even non-budget airlines that are considered expensive - delight passengers with unprecedented discounts. When a new destination opens, a promotion is held. Or, during the “low tourist season,” air carriers want to fill the half-empty aircraft cabin with budget passengers. If you are not tied to certain numbers, you can register on the company’s website and use the “Report low prices” service. Then you will receive emails about promotions and discounts from this carrier. But don’t rush to respond to them immediately: compare offers from different airlines to find the best option for you.

Aggregators

Some tourist places are so popular that almost every carrier on earth flocks to them. How to buy airline tickets profitably without visiting countless company websites? There are aggregators for this. These are search engines, one might say, a database of all available seats on planes. Through aggregators such as Skyscanner or Aviasales, you can not only select tickets for the flight you are interested in, but also purchase them. However, do not rush to press the “Buy” button. Go to the website of the company that interests you and compare prices there. Sometimes it is more profitable to buy directly from those who provide the flight service. But sometimes it happens that the prices in the aggregator are lower. These search engines are good because you can use the “Find cheap tickets” option for a given destination. If the date is not critical for you, then the car will find the best offer for you.

Marketing campaigns

Carriers are constantly interested in finding customers. If you have accessed their website from your computer at least once, they will constantly send you various messages like “The best flights from Moscow to Milan! 30% discount! Two spots left!" Don't be fooled. This is an original marketing trick of trivial advertising. If you really need to go to Milan, go to the company's website. Perhaps tickets for neighboring dates are even cheaper than those offered to you. Explore the possibilities of low-cost airlines. Near Milan is the city of Bergamo, whose airport charges much less for servicing flights than the popular Malpensa. You can get from the foothills of the Alps to the capital of Italian fashion in half an hour by train.

Loyalty program

Every manufacturer values ​​its regular customers. And for them he can reduce the price. When buying cheap air tickets becomes your habit, you will understand this. After using the services of a company, go to its website. Register as a “club member” by entering the information from your ticket into a special form. From this time on, “miles” will begin to be deposited into your personal account. And when purchasing your next air ticket, you can count on your discount card. True, then you can become a hostage of a certain airline: in order to use “miles”, you only need to use its services. Here you need to be able to balance: be loyal only when it benefits you.

Summarize

So let's sum it all up. When is the best time to buy plane tickets? Already six months in advance, it’s worth subscribing to newsletters for updates from various airlines, travel agencies and services about promotions and discounts. Three to four months in advance, you need to send a request to the search aggregator. Moreover, indicate not a specific departure date, but a floating one: plus or minus three days. It is also possible not to indicate a specific airport (both departure and arrival). Tickets should be taken there and back - it will be cheaper. Be sure to also consider connecting flights.