(WHTM) — Experts say the number of people expected to travel this summer is just about to be back to where it was in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news? Travelers can still get good deals on flights for their summer vacation.
With vacationers charging into the summer travel season, airfares are going up and the competition for seats is high. Scott Keyes of “Scott’s Cheap Flights” says for the best deals, look to the end of summer.
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“Fares during those periods are likely to be 20 or 30% lower than fares in the middle of July, for instance. And the reason why is that school districts are on different schedules. Some are already started again by late August, or some are already are still in school in early June,” Keyes said.
Keyes says you can also shop for deals using the 24-hour rule. It allows you to book a flight and change it or cancel it within 24 hours, as long as your book directly with the airline and it’s a week or more before your departure.
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“So if you book a flight at $500 today and then tomorrow it’s dropped to $400, or you can cancel that old flight, get your money back and book the new flight at $400 and pocket the entire difference,” Keyes said.
Don’t be put off by stories about record-high ticket prices — you can still find bargains.
“Average airfare can be increasing and increasing quickly and cheap flights can still be abundant. So don’t let the fact that fares are increasing on average lull you into overpaying for your next flight,” Keyes explained.
If you have decided to book a flight for that vacation getaway, don’t wait until the last minute in the hopes of getting a better deal.
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“So if you’ve been dawdling, if you’ve been putting it off, my recommendation to you is to stop that, go ahead and book that flight sooner rather than later, because the last-minute fares are likely not to be cheaper, but to actually be more expensive,” Keyes said.
One more tip when it comes to air travel — fly midweek. Generally, Wednesday flights are the cheapest and the most expensive day to fly is Sunday.
