TIL booking a flight on a Tuesday at 2pm saved me $180

I was looking at flights to Portland for a wedding and noticed the prices were all over the place. Out of curiosity, I checked the same route at 2pm on a Tuesday and it was $180 cheaper than the Sunday night quote I had. Apparently airlines update their sales early in the week and fewer people book during those hours. Has anyone else noticed a sweet spot for timing their flight bookings?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason2832mo ago

Wait, did you check that it was actually cheaper because of the time and day, or because the fare class changed? I read somewhere that airlines use dynamic pricing, so it's not just about Tuesday at 2pm but about how many seats are left in each price bucket. Like, if a bunch of people book Monday night and sell out the cheap seats, Tuesday afternoon might just be a leftover. But honestly, I have seen a pattern too where Tuesday and Wednesday mornings have the lowest prices for domestic flights, at least from what I've heard. I think it's because most people book for weekend travel on Fridays and Sundays, so the algorithms drop the price to fill those midweek gaps. Just make sure you're comparing the same flight number and not a red-eye or something lol.

sage_perry2mo ago

Hang on, have you actually tested this yourself and found it to be true? I've been tracking a few flights for a trip next month and I'm seeing the exact same prices no matter what day or time I check. It all seems flat to me. I think the whole Tuesday at 2pm thing is an old myth that airlines caught onto and stopped doing years ago. Your mileage may vary, but in my experience the only thing that actually changes the price is how close you get to the departure date.

wrenwilson21d ago

Oh come on, you're totally right about the Tuesday thing being a myth. I've been tracking flights for years and the only time I see a price drop is when I stop looking for a week and then check again. It's like the algorithm knows you're watching and just holds steady. But okay, serious question for both of you: have you ever tried booking through a VPN from a different country? I've heard people swear the prices are lower if you pretend to be in like Argentina or something. I tested it once with a VPN to Canada and saw a slight difference, but it was maybe twenty bucks. Not exactly the life changing hack they claim. Just wondering if anyone else has actually seen that work or if it's another internet fairy tale.