What Is the Best Time to Make Flight Reservations?

Save money on airline tickets by purchasing on the right days. (Photo: BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images )

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Making your airline reservations on the right days and within the right time frame can save you significantly on travel. However, too much of an obsession with the "best" time to book can leave you a greedy gambler, hooked on seeing what's around the corner rather than taking the plunge and making a purchase. To make an informed decision, review the trends and decide what you are willing to spend before you look to avoid passing up a good deal in search of a more elusive better one.

General Rules

Airfare experts from SmarterTravel.com and FareCompare.com, who track flight prices and airline trends, agree that domestic flight reservations are best made in the middle of the week, between one and three months before the date of departure. Because airfare sales are usually initiated on Mondays and matched by competitors on Tuesdays, mid-week is the sweet spot for booking and reserving flights. Less than 21 days in advance is not considered "advance purchase" and if you purchase inside this time period, you might catch the last-minute price hikes that airlines are prone to employ for less price-sensitive business travelers.

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