Book the best airfare deals for National Cheap Flight Day, plus tips to find future savings
Whether you need to secure a last-minute trip or have had your eye on a dream destination and were just waiting for a deal, this National Cheap Flight Day could be the best time to book.
When is National Cheap Flight Day?
National Cheap Flight Day, observed Saturday, Aug. 23, marks the unofficial end of peak summer travel season, leading into what's known as "shoulder season," the period between fall and the busy holiday season.
What is National Cheap Flight Day?
This is one of the best times to book cheap airline tickets. Much like Travel Tuesday following Cyber Week sales, there have historically been some significantly lower airfares this time of year as demand begins to soften and airlines look to fill seats.
How to find the best National Cheap Flight Day airfare prices, deals
Whether you use expert-recommended tools like Google Flights to track historical pricing data and set alerts or prefer to use browser extensions like Points Path to find the best use of awards points, there are plenty of options for travelers who want help securing the best savings on airfare.
Julian Kheel, founder of Points Path, told ABC News that utilizing these fare alerts and flight monitoring tools as resources is "the best way to consistently find cheap flights."
Both -- whether you're booking in cash or points -- will "notify you the moment there's a price drop, which matters because the lowest prices often don't last long," he said.
How to discern a good deal on airfare
Context matters when it comes to what makes a price "good."
Kheel explained that travelers need to compare what's typical for that specific route during that time of year.
Looking at the tracking charts available on the tools he mentioned previously "can show when the current price of a flight you're looking at is at its lowest, highest, or somewhere in between," which he said helps "make it clear when a fare is a genuine bargain, versus a price that just looks appealing."
Flexibility is the key to finding airfare savings
Travel experts continually repeat this point, because even a slight shift, such as flying a day earlier or taking a return flight midweek can make a huge difference in total ticket price.
Airlines don't always set the shortest or most direct routes at the cheapest prices, so that's why Kheel said "exploring alternatives can pay off."
Kheel explained that other things, such as choosing a nearby airport, can also help people avoid paying top dollar.
"The more options you leave open, the more chances you give yourself to catch a low fare," he said.
Another way to score deals is to book two separate tickets on different airlines, based on the best fares, which can help people save hundreds.
"The more willing you are to be creative when you're piecing together your journey, the better your odds are of uncovering a cheaper path," Kheel said.
