When to Buy

Q. I know what days of the week are the least expensive to travel on but what's the best time to actually purchase my tickets?

A. At 5:15 p.m. on Saturday if you're booking through an airline over the phone, or after midnight on Sunday a.m. if using a website. Airlines usually lower rates on Friday, then competing carriers try to beat those prices by reducing their own fares on Saturday at 5 p.m. (the designated time when airlines change fares on the weekend). It takes two to four hours for those new prices to filter down to the computer-reservation systems used by websites.