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Airfare accounts for a big portion of your travel budget, so you want to make sure you get the best airfare value for your dollar. Airlines won’t always tell you what the best airfare options are, but by asking the right questions, being flexible with your travel plans and planning ahead, you increase the chances of finding and booking the best airfare for your budget and destination.

How Airfare Rates Are Set
Airlines calculate airfare rates based on seat inventory, demand and the competition. If a particular flight route is in high demand, the price of airfare for that route will increase. Likewise, if another flight has more empty seats than full, the price of that airfare will drop.

Airlines that offer the same flight routes often have widely different airfare prices. One airline may have market share for that route and need to lower airfare to fill seats while another airline with fewer flights on that route can raise prices to meet demand.

As a result of all of these factors, airfare prices fluctuate in real time. When you’re shopping around, what you see quoted one minute could change in the time takes you to get your credit card information ready. Even if you’re booking airfare online, the price you see could change while you’re creating your itinerary. Part of getting the best airfare is being able to act quickly.

One Day Can Make a Difference
If you have strict restrictions on the dates you can travel, you probably won’t get the best airfare you could have if your travel dates were flexible. If you can keep your travel plans flexible and depart or return even one day earlier or later than your original plans, you’ll increase your chances of getting a better airfare deal by staying outside peak travel times.