Searching for That Cheap Ticket

There have been lots of articles written about the best way to find the cheapest airplane tickets, and it’s been discussed in a lot of forums like FlyerTalk. I’ve pretty much heard it all: Search on Wednesdays. Search right after midnight. Search using “incognito mode” so that your web browser doesn’t save your search results and show demand for a certain flight and result in price increases. I have tried most of these tips and can’t really tell you whether or not they have worked (though book early instead of the last-minute is true). I continue reading these pieces when they come out anyway (maybe this will be the one, I think). Here’s one from Bloomberg Businessweek. It’s helpful, but in a different way:

3. Stop looking. You don’t need to keep shopping a flight you’ve purchased, see the price drop, and feel like a dope. (And airlines are much less likely to refund you the savings than they used to be.) Sure, there’s an argument to be made that such a painful education may help you become a better airfare shopper, but few people are obsessive or patient enough to keep tabs on routes’ pricing at all times. Said Brunger: “Buyer’s remorse is a real thing.”

Photo: Marc Lacoste

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