4 airfare shopping mistakes (that cause you to overpay) and how to avoid them

No one likes paying more than they should for something. But, without the right strategy you’ve been overpaying for plane tickets. That could mean hundreds or thousands of dollars up in smoke.

But, you can do better!

I’ve put together four mistakes to avoid when booking a flight. This list will help you sidestep common errors that even sophisticated travelers make. Put these into action today, and you’ll stop paying more than you should. Here goes…

Mistake #1: Buying too early or too late

In may sound counterintuitive, but you can buy your flights too early and miss out on deals. Most airlines open up sales for a flight 331 days in advance, about 11 months. For the next 3–4 months the fares will remain pretty steady as the airline determines demand. If it’s selling, the prices will go up. So you want to buy rather than wait.

But if it’s not selling that’s when the prices drop, and you score a deal. This sweet spot tends to be around 55–60 days out for domestic destinations. It varies between 90–120 days out for international destinations.

No matter what, the absolute worst time to book your trip is last minute. The day before is the most expensive and you’ll be paying a premium all the way back to 13 days in advance.

It’s a total myth that there are last minute price reductions for empty seats. If you book less than two weeks out the airline knows you need the flight so they keep the prices high.

To figure out what’s early, late and juuuust right, use a monitoring service. Good options include Hopper, Airfarewatchdog or Kayak. These will tell you, based on historical data, if you should buy or wait. As soon as you know your travel plans, plug them into one of these services to start tracking and get alerts on deals.

Mistake #2: Only searching one website before booking

No matter what you’re buying, you can save by price comparing. The same is true for flights, because not every booking site is equal.

Online travel agencies, like Expedia and Priceline, are good for airline options…