Why does nobody talk about booking flights on a Tuesday afternoon?

I used to just search for flights whenever I had time, usually late at night after work. Then a friend who works at Southwest told me prices drop mid-afternoon on Tuesdays because airlines match each other's sales from Monday. I tried it for a trip to Denver last month and saved $87 compared to the same route I checked Sunday night. Has anyone else noticed a specific time that consistently gets lower fares?

3 comments

3 Comments

rubyk861mo ago

Right? I swear by Tuesday 3pm ET. My whole vacation budget changed because of that timing.

finleyh891mo ago

and honestly @rubyk86 you're so right about the specific day and time being the key. i used to just check flights at random and always got burned on price. then i started watching them drop every tuesday right around 3pm eastern and it's wild how consistent it's been. like this past month i booked a trip for $180 less than what it was monday night just by waiting like 18 hours. it's almost too easy once you pay attention to the pattern. my friends think i'm crazy for being so specific but the savings don't lie.

simonh7417d ago

Oh man, tell me about it. I've been doing the Tuesday 3pm thing for almost two years now and it's saved me hundreds on flights. The trick I've found is to set a reminder on my phone like an hour before just so I don't forget. Also if you can, try clearing your cookies or using an incognito window before you check because sometimes the airlines jack up the price if they see you've been looking. It's not foolproof but it's definitely a solid move if you're flexible.