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I have been travelling for over half my life at this point. Sometimes travel has been a constant, others it was more sporadic. It’s hard to say when I started and stopped, since I still haven’t found the place that just feels like home. Therefore, some places where I lived felt like I was just travelling. Due to this, a lot of my friends ask for help when booking flights. One thing I have come to learn is that almost everyone believes at least one of the numerous myths about buying flights.
I have always tended to research the ever-living crap out of anything I am interested in. Due to my ADHD, that research can become obsessive at times. When it came to figuring out how flight prices work, I was absolutely obsessive. Therefore, I learnt all about how to find and buy cheap flights when you have a specific destination, timeframe, or both in mind. I also learned the best method for finding cheap flights when you just want to travel. In doing all that research, I ended up learning about a lot of myths surrounding budget travel and buying flights.
I want to take the time to dispel all the myths about buying flights that almost everyone believes. As such, this post will be updated over time as I come across even more. Because I will come across more.
Myth #1: Google Flights has the Cheapest Flights
This myth doesn’t only apply to Google Flights, but rather to any website designed for buying flights. When it comes to buying cheap flights, people have their preferences, but there is no one “best” website.
For example, When I am searching for a flight with specific parameters, I first check Skyscanner (my favourite/preferred website for finding flights) then I compare prices with, at the very least, Google Flights and Kayak.
A small side note is that when using these sites, even Skyscanner, I have to double-check pricing. As Kiwi.com pricing can sometimes be displayed and, well, they are kinda scammy.
I have found for myself that 8 times out of 10 I book through Skyscanner. I find they usually have the most reasonable pricing for what I am looking for. However, there have been those times when Google Flights, Kayak, or Expedia have saved me a couple hundred dollars.
Myth #2:There Are Only Two Seats Left!
I don’t want to go into depth about how airline pricing works. It would be long, convoluted, and would probably bore you in all honesty. Therefore, the best way to dispel this myth is this:
There aren’t only two seats left. There are only two seats left at that price. That’s how they get you. Sneaky, eh?
Myth #3:Websites Can Predict Prices
Straight up, they can’t. Flight prices are as volatile as the stock market. They can change by the day, hour, or even the minute sometimes. Seriously, if someone is claiming they can predict the prices of flights, chances are very good that they are full of shit.
Myth #4: Search In Incognito
This can be doubled up with the whole “use a VPN to search for tickets” thing. When it comes to searching for flights, neither of these two things really helps.
This myth came around due to how ticket pricing tends to work. Airlines give out groupings of seats to sell to various sites. When you refresh the page and the price goes up, it’s because the last seat in that price group was sold. Not that they are tracking what you are looking up and raising the prices.
After all, there are only two seats left! In that price group, that is. Plus… Cookies… Even in incognito and over a VPN they still know you are there…waiting…. Watching… being the ultimate flight creeper.
Myth #5:Tuesday is the cheapest day to buy
Is there a cheapest day/time to buy flights? Yes, there is. Is it a preset constant? No.
The evolution of this myth has been interesting. When I was younger, it was, “Weekdays are the cheapest time to buy a flight.” At some point, that seems to have narrowed to only Tuesdays.
I think it evolved from the fact that flights tend to be cheaper on Tuesdays. Looking at that sentence, I understand the confusion even more. Let’s be more specific. Flights that depart on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays tend to be cheaper. This is due to supply and demand. Fewer people travel on those days, therefore the demand is lower and supply is higher, driving down the price.
Myth #6 Flights will only get more expensive
I want to put an asterisk next to this one. Typically, it isn’t true that flights will only get more expensive. Hell, a flight costing 800 dollars today can easily be 300 tomorrow.
However, there is one in which this myth is true. What is it? Hold on a second, I’ll tell you, I promise!
If you are booking a flight and the departure date is 21 days or less away, then chances are that prices will only go up. Up until that point, the price will go up and down an unbelievable amount. Don’t believe me? Try it out. For the next 5 days, check out a flight from London to Rome for 6 months from now and compare it to the prices of one 21, 20, 19, etc, days from now. Decrease the day count every day you do this, and you will see what I mean.
Myth #7: Flights Are Cheapest 6 Months Before Departure
Again, this is just the “Tuesday” thing all over again. It doesn’t work like this. There is no perfect, “this exact point in time is cheapest” when it comes to flights. However, 6 months before is a great time to start your search.
After all, this gives you the most time to check prices daily until you find one you are satisfied with.
Am I A Myth Buster Now?
Normally, I would end a post like this with a numbered list of the points to wrap things up in a neat little package. However, when it comes to myths about buying flights, it feels pointless to do so. As I mentioned earlier, this list will be expanded with more and more myths as they pop up.
And they will pop up. Of that, I can promise you. For some reason, people just love a good myth. Whether that be about buying flights, myths about Mexico, or myths about something else entirely.
What myths have I missed? Let me know down below so I can add and, hopefully, debunk them.
As always, we believe we should live with intention, travel with purpose, and let the world inscribe its stories upon us.
So until next time, stay authentic, stay Nomadic, and let the world inscribe its stories upon you more than you do upon it.
