I originally wrote this for NPR, in advance of my guest spot on “Talk of the Nation”; due to space considerations, the folks at NPR had to shorten this a bit, but I thought you’d like to see it in its entirety. Here is the piece in full — Rick Sometimes I get the feeling that there’s a whole group of people out there who believe in a mythical amendment to our Constitution — one that guarantees us the “Right to Cheap Airline Tickets”! But anyone who’s actually bought airline tickets in the past 6 months knows this in not an “inalienable right”. And with good reason. Keep reading; good solid information and great tips ahead!

Once again, the airline industry is in trouble. After finally crawling out of the black hole of bankruptcy and economic ruin that scarred the industry after 9/11, hard times are back. The number one reason: the exploding cost of fuel (the price of jet fuel has nearly doubled since last year).

The airlines are doing something about this. They are raising their prices. Steadily.

We consumers have two choices: complain (which is what folks did last year); or, adapt. I think the answer is “intelligent adapting”; you accomplish this by making smarter airfare purchasing decisions. And that’s the philosophy behind FareCompare.com; my idea, when we founded the website two years ago, was to help everyone make the very best buys, every time.

And help is needed, because online airfare shopping hasn’t changed much over the years. It’s still (mostly) a matter of going to favorite travel websites, typing in cities and dates, getting some price quotes, and…and, being left with a ton of questions! Here are some of the most common ones:

• Are these airline ticket prices really “cheap”?
• Will this price go down (or up) today? Tomorrow?
• Are there cheaper days to travel?
• Should I wait until next year to go to Europe?

Good questions, and FareCompare.com can help you find the answers. Consider this: I have spent much of the past seven years building the some of the world’s most complex software systems for processing raw flight and airfare information. No one else has this technology, and I study the resulting data daily (don’t bet against me when the Jeopardy category is “Worldwide Airport Codes”).

So believe me, I can help you find cheap airfare. But to start off right, you need some background. Here are the basics:

• An airline is in business to sell you a seat on a flight for as much money as possible
• Airlines set from six to ten different price levels for every flight and only about 10% or less of passengers on every flight will get the cheapest price
• Airlines can and do change hundreds of thousands of airfare prices every day, and at different times of the day
• Every time you request a price quote, the airline makes an instantaneous decision as to what price level to offer you, at that moment. A moment later, the price may move to another level
• Airlines study your buying behavior and use this knowledge to charge you more
• Airlines don’t like to charge a single dollar more (or less) than the competition (so that you won’t shop elsewhere); when one carrier switches prices, the others quickly follow
• Remember, not everyone will get that cheapest “10%”; but paying the 2nd, 3rd and 4th cheapest price for an airline ticket is still a relatively good deal

Okay, with all this in mind, you’re ready to start shopping (that’s shopping, not buying — do some research and some comparisons first). And here’s some handy tips to get you started:

TIP #1 – Be Flexible

• Be willing to travel outside the typical weekend-to-weekend “box” (See Tip #4)
• Fly less popular times of day (6am, noon, late evening)
• Switch from your home airport, if you can get a better deal at a neighboring airport (even if it means driving an hour or two)

HINT: Instead of asking the boss for “the last 2-weeks of July” off, see if the boss will allow you to find the best airfare deal within an agreed upon period of time (maybe June, July or August); this way, you won’t get stuck frantically trying to find a deal for an inflexible period of time

TIP #2 – Shop Early (Not Too Early) – Just Don’t Procrastinate

• Airlines manage the cheapest seats in a 4 month window before departure; any earlier and you will be charged a mid-tier price
• Waiting until the last minute used to mean you could find some great deals, but not anymore (planes are packed, so airlines have no incentive to lure last minute shoppers). Today, procrastinators may have to pay $1000+ for last minute airfare

HINT: Airlines normally start sales early in the week and increase airfares late in the week (there were 16 such increases in 2007, and already 6 increases in 2008)

TIP #3 – Use Airfare “Price Drop” Email Alerts

• FareCompare.com’s airfare price drop email alerts, for example, let you hear about airfare sales before any other website (including the airlines’ own websites)

HINT: The alerts are free and simple to use — and those that learn about airfare sales first are more likely to score those elusive, cheapest seats

TIP #4 – Fly the Cheapest Days of the Week

• Wednesdays are usually the very cheapest days of the week to fly
• Next best days: Tuesdays and Saturdays

HINT: Most of the recent airline fare sales require you to travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday while other days are NOT included in the sale. Be prepared to pay a $50 roundtrip premium for non-stops, popular departure times (8am, 4pm), and popular destinations. On peak days and holidays, be prepared to pay a $200-$400 roundtrip premium

TIP #5 – Fly Hub Cities (Usually)

• If you’re in a smallish city, it may pay to drive to the nearest big airport. Example: flying from Los Angeles is usually always cheaper than Burbank
• WARNING: this isn’t true everywhere; Cincinnati, for example, can be much more expensive than Dayton, Columbus or Indianapolis

HINT: When shopping for airfare online, look for an “option” button that allows you to compare prices with “nearby airports”

TIP #6 – Don’t Sit on the Sidelines When You See a Good Deal

• When you see a good deal – be prepared to pull the trigger – remember, you and thousands of others are shopping for the cheapest seats, and they go fast
• Airlines are reducing capacity and planes are filling up faster than ever; know what a good price is (by checking the price “history” of that route) and buy quickly once you see a good deal

HINT: Agree on a budget with your spouse/traveling partner before you go shopping; if you wait to discuss this after you’ve found a great deal, chances are that deal will be gone

TIP #7 – Learn When to Buy Tickets to Europe

• International travel has well-defined “seasons” that determine price points. Knowing when these seasons begin and end means you can save hundreds of dollars flying by one day (say, at the end of a “cheap season”), as opposed to the person who travels the next day (at the start of a new, more expensive “season”)
• European “Open Skies” launched on March 30, 2008 with numerous sales; look for similar buzz-generating sales any time new airlines or routes are introduced

HINT: Some European connecting cities such as Dublin have half the taxes and fees as other cities (such as London’s Heathrow); save money by knowing which airports have cheaper fees

The best way to find the great deals and the cheapest airfares? Shop intelligently. That means, educating yourself, and, searching out the sites with the best technology and tools.

Safe Travels!