All Seasons, All Days, Are Not Created Equal

As a rule, airfare prices tend to rise substantially when traveling during the holiday season or other peak travel seasons. There are some ways to get around paying those high rates to travel for vacations and holidays while everyone else gets stuck breaking the bank to go home for Christmas. Not all seasons are created equal, and not all days during seasons are created equal so if you aren't picky about when you arrive, you can often get the best deals simply by asking questions.

One of the best ways to get the best deals on flights during peak seasons and holidays is to book your flight as soon as you know you will make the trip. Often the best seats and the best discounts are given to those who book their flights months or weeks in advance. Sometimes it is not possible to book a flight in advance as the trip may be last minute decision you made. When that is the case, you have to get a little more creative to get discounted tickets at good rates.

First, peak travel seasons like holidays generally make it very hard to get good deals on flight tickets, however there are exceptions to the rule. For example, during the Christmas season, tickets for late at night on Christmas Eve may be discounted to a normal rate, as there are usually few travelers on those flights. Tickets for Christmas Day and possibly the day after Christmas can also be found as discounted fares. Again, you won't know unless you ask, because airlines want as much of your money as you will give them.

Second, peak travel seasons like summer for Europe and winter for Colorado can make the price of flights soar. But, again, there are ways to get around the high rates and take advantage of discounted tickets as sometimes taking a flight during the week can save you a lot of money. Tuesday and Wednesday are often the cheapest days to book a flight, as well as weekend days can also be cheaper, such as Saturdays, depending on your destination. International and domestic flights vary as to which days are less expensive, so ask about the cheapest days to fly on when you call about booking your flight.

You should also consider the length of your stay when purchasing airline tickets as often, the shorter the stay the less expensive round trip airfare will be. If you plan to stay for several weeks, you may be better off purchasing two one way tickets, while keeping in mind the cheapest days to fly to each destination. This can sometimes save you some money, even though round-trip tickets are discounted. Remember, though, that if you are looking at this option you want to book the flights separately and at different times or with different airlines, otherwise you will still pay the round trip ticket price.

As with all discounted flights, the best thing to do is to simply ask. The more questions you ask and the more rates you get for different days, times, and lengths of stay, the more likely you will be to get the cheaper flight rates.