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When Will Airlines Prices Go Down In 2023?

Airlines1 year ago
Person holding a passport while in an airport

If you are planning on traveling in 2023, you may have been frustrated when checking out the current prices of your flights. There has been a multitude of factors that have led to increased prices for airline tickets this year. These include staff shortages, raising ill prices, and increased travel demand for flights post-pandemic.

But does that mean you have to reign yourself to paying soaring prices to travel this year? Not necessarily!

Below we will talk you through the answers to questions such as "Which airline is the cheapest?", "Why day is best for cheap flights?" and "How can you access cheap airfare prices in 2023?"

 

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When Will Airline Prices Go Down?

As we discussed in the introduction, there are a variety of reasons that your airline tickets are expensive right now. Airlines set their prices according to their costs and how much demand there is for a particular flight and a particular time.

If you want to book holiday travel, you can expect to pay no more as there is more demand for tickets. However, if you book just after the summer vacation, you can expect to pay less. Predicting when the current soaring prices for air travel will end is difficult, as we cannot tell what political and world events may affect oil prices and travel habits in the future.

However, we can tell you the facts you need to know to save money when you book your tickets in 2023. Read below for the answers to some of the most frequent questions about how to book tickets when airline prices go down and how to decide which airline is cheaper for your trip.

 

Do Flight Prices Change Daily?

If you have been researching airfare prices across different websites to discover which airline is cheapest, you may have found that the quoted prices for a flight have changed within the space of a day.

In fact, flight prices of airlines can change every day and occasionally multiple times within 24 hours! This is because airlines are always assessing how much profit they can make on each flight and this can change according to a variety of factors. these include:

  • The price that other airline carriers are currently charging for the same flight.
  • The current demand for tickets.
  • How many seats the plane currently has available.

Specialist software will use analyze all relevant data and then make price adjustments which then either increase or decrease the cost of the tickets.

 

What Day of the Week Can You Book the Cheapest Flights?

Just as prices go up and down each day, they will naturally fluctuate according to demand throughout the week. There are no hard and set rules about when to book the cheapest airline tickets, but the highest demand for flights tends to be Friday and Sunday as people either head home at the end of a working week or head out at the start of one.

Consequently, the cheapest days for flight bookings tend to be Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays when there is less customer demand for domestic airfare.

If you are trying to book international flights from the US then you will find that weekday flights are usually cheaper. Flights on the weekends are generally the most expensive, especially if you are booking flights to or from the US.

 

Do Flight Prices Go Down on Tuesdays?

One travel hack myth you may have come across when trying to discover will airline prices go down is that you may be able to access cheaper flights by booking on a Wednesday. Unfortunately, the data has shown that this is not true and the varied factors which affect when airline prices go down can occur on any day of the week.

 

Can You Get Cheaper Flight Prices Nearer the Departure Date?

You may have also heard that booking last minute may be a great way to access cheap flights. However, if demand for that flight is high, prices may rise or you may be unable to book at all!

It is generally better to book flights between four months and three weeks before your intended departure date. Booking before then or at the last minute is more likely to cost you money than help you save dollars.

 

How Often Will Airline Prices Go Down?

It is not unusual for airline ticket prices to fluctuate up and down before the departure date. Although, as we discussed before, prices tend to change according to demand - there is a general pattern airline ticket prices will follow:

  • Airlines will usually begin offering flight bookings around 11 months before the departure date. At this point, tickets will usually not be particularly cheap. In fact, sometimes airlines charge more for early bookings.
  • Ticket prices will then generally decrease until about four months before the departure date.
  • Prices for airline tickets will usually be at their lowest between four months and three weeks before the flight departure date.
  • 3 weeks before departure, prices may begin to rise again as demand increases and available seats decrease.

Remember, this is just a general guide and if you are trying to book during a peak travel season you should expect to pay more than non-peak periods.

 

Which Airline is the Cheapest?

If you are looking to save money on travel during 2023, you need to make sure to check prices with budget airlines and know which airline is cheaper.

Here is a rundown of which airline is the cheapest according to lendenu.com.

  • Spirit Airlines
  • Frontier Airlines
  • Hawaiian Airlines
  • Allegiant Air
  • Sun Country Airlines
  • Alaska Airlines
  • JetBlue Airways
  • American Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • Southwest Airlines

 

Summary: When Will Airlines Prices Go Down in 2023?

As we have seen above, the answer to when will airline prices go down is dependent on many factors. And as long as demand remains so high, we can expect airlines to maximise profits by making sure their prices are equally high. But there are some steps you can take to reduce your flight costs.

These include researching low cost airlines, booking flights which don't depart on a Friday or Monday, and not booking your flight either too long before or too soon to your departure date. Also make sure you know which airline is cheaper and include them before confirming any booking.

Make sure to do you research and remain flexible in your flight bookings and you should be able to access the best prices and predict when will airline prices go down before the departure date.

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