5 ways to catch the cheapest plane tickets

5 ways to catch the cheapest plane tickets

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SALT LAKE CITY — With the holidays approaching saving money on travel can mean extra money for presents and celebratory cheer.

Even ticket prices for seats on the same plane can vary widely, but following a few tips can help ensure you are one of those who pay less.

Check the Airline's Website

Using sites that compare airfare won't always give you the best deal. Some of the cheaper airlines, like Southwest and Ryanair, don't show up on other websites, Rick Seaney of Farecompare.com told U.S. News & World Report. A good strategy can be to use one of the comparitive sites to get an idea of prices and then check those times individually on an airline's website to see if there are any special deals.

Buy Tickets on the Weekend

It has long been recommended that people looking to get away should buy plane tickets during the middle of the week, but plane tickets sold on Saturdays and Sundays were found to be 5 percent cheaper on average, according to a recent study by Texas A&M. They cited the fact that businesses often buy tickets during the week, while people traveling for fun are more likely to shop on the weekend as the reason behind it.

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Another tool that can help with deciding when to buy tickets is Bing's travel search. Their price predictor lets you know if fares should be going up or down in the coming weeks. They also offer a fare history to show how the prices of your desired flight have fluctuated in recent days.

Shop for Tickets One at a Time

If you're willing to split up on the plane ride, booking tickets seperately can save a lot of money. When you buy tickets in a group, it requires everyone to pay the same price, according to FareCompare. This means sometimes there may be cheaper seats you aren't seeing.

To be able to see how many tickets are available at a lower rate, FareCompare recommends opening one search window for the whole group and then another to look at the price of one ticket. You can gradually increase the number of travelers to see how many tickets are available for less and then purchase accordingly. For example, a family of four could save by purchasing two tickets at the lowest price and the other two for a little bit more.

Fly Home Right After the Holiday

Lingering after the holidays may seem appealing, but if you're willing to leave a little earlier you can save a substantial amount of money. Flying home on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday can save you more than 20 percent, according to an analysis by kayak.com. Departing close to the holiday can also be helpful; traveling as near to Dec. 25 as possible can also save 20 percent, they found. If possible, avoid the weekends around Christmas, because it can cost 24 percent more than average and the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest day at the airport, according to Forbes. It's a good idea to get out of town early or wait until the next week; fares start to drop significantly on Tuesday.

Pay Attention to the Details

Charging for carry-on bags is one of the most recent developments in airline fees, but sometimes even those types of fees can be avoided with smart shopping. Fontier charges for carry-on bags if you use a third-party booking website, but the bags are included for free if you purchase them on their personal site.

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Natalie Crofts

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