Sinking the Saturday Night Stay Rule
Check a variety of dates, or at least make your flight plans as flexible as possible.
If you can depart between Monday at noon and Thursday at noon, or on Saturday, you can often save money on fares. Notice "often" rather than "always." Flights on Mondays and Fridays (even Saturdays in the summer months) can be very crowded.
Purposely fly on busy days and choose crowded routes.
As we've noted, the more competition for business travelers, the less likely a Saturday night stay will be required.
Another bonus on the crowded routes is the possibility of overbooking, which can lead to being bumped in favor of discounted or free future flights.
Resist the temptation to search only for non-stop flights.
The convenience of non-stop is tempting, but sometimes it comes at much higher prices. Again, you're looking at a strategy designed to separate business travelers (with rigid schedules) from leisure travelers (who might not worry much about an extra couple of hours in transit).
Watch for holiday bargains.
Not all Christmas dates are crowded and expensive. Christmas Day and sometimes the day after Christmas are often scary for the airlines, because few people are traveling. You can snag bargain seats at those times. Periods before and after a major holiday are going to cost more money.
Consider the personality of your destination
Las Vegas and Cancun cater to far more leisure types than business travelers, so weekend volumes are likely to be higher than during the week. New York and Chicago are much the opposite.
Plan your itinerary accordingly.
Be certain to shop for airports whenever possible.
Sometimes, a short drive or inconvenience will save a great deal of money. This isn't true only for big cities with multiple airports. Flying to Cheyenne, Wyoming? Check Denver, which is just 90 minutes away by car.
The best defense against paying too much for airfare is knowing how the airlines work. That does not mean you must understand their pricing strategies. I doubt most of the top industry executives could rationalize some of these fares. But if you know why they require Saturday night stays and other oddities, you'll be better prepared to beat them at their own game.
Also be ready for the rules of the game to change. Perhaps soon we can give the Saturday night stay a decent burial and put it out of our misery.
If you can depart between Monday at noon and Thursday at noon, or on Saturday, you can often save money on fares. Notice "often" rather than "always." Flights on Mondays and Fridays (even Saturdays in the summer months) can be very crowded.
Purposely fly on busy days and choose crowded routes.
As we've noted, the more competition for business travelers, the less likely a Saturday night stay will be required.
Another bonus on the crowded routes is the possibility of overbooking, which can lead to being bumped in favor of discounted or free future flights.
Resist the temptation to search only for non-stop flights.
The convenience of non-stop is tempting, but sometimes it comes at much higher prices. Again, you're looking at a strategy designed to separate business travelers (with rigid schedules) from leisure travelers (who might not worry much about an extra couple of hours in transit).
Watch for holiday bargains.
Not all Christmas dates are crowded and expensive. Christmas Day and sometimes the day after Christmas are often scary for the airlines, because few people are traveling. You can snag bargain seats at those times. Periods before and after a major holiday are going to cost more money.
Consider the personality of your destination
Las Vegas and Cancun cater to far more leisure types than business travelers, so weekend volumes are likely to be higher than during the week. New York and Chicago are much the opposite.
Plan your itinerary accordingly.
Be certain to shop for airports whenever possible.
Sometimes, a short drive or inconvenience will save a great deal of money. This isn't true only for big cities with multiple airports. Flying to Cheyenne, Wyoming? Check Denver, which is just 90 minutes away by car.
The best defense against paying too much for airfare is knowing how the airlines work. That does not mean you must understand their pricing strategies. I doubt most of the top industry executives could rationalize some of these fares. But if you know why they require Saturday night stays and other oddities, you'll be better prepared to beat them at their own game.
Also be ready for the rules of the game to change. Perhaps soon we can give the Saturday night stay a decent burial and put it out of our misery.
