Contrary to popular belief, there’s no one perfect time to book an airline ticket—but some times are better than others, and now is one of those times.
Why now? For one, Tuesday, June 4, is the biggest booking day for summer travel, according to flight-finding site Hipmunk. The day sees a 90 percent increase in bookings for summer travel, and it’s no wonder why: More than a third of domestic and international flights are at least 15 percent cheaper than usual.
Airlines are tuned into the trend: The first Tuesday in June is usually when Southwest Airlines launches its annual fall travel sale, and it didn’t disappoint this year. For travel between August 20 and December 18, the Dallas-based carrier is offering flights as low as $49 one-way nonstop between Phoenix and Las Vegas, from $129 one-way nonstop between Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport and Oakland International, and $99 one-way nonstops from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans. For a full list of the cities and prices, visit southwest.com and book before the deal ends on June 6, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. PST.
Alaska Airlines is getting in on the fun, too, with flight deals available through June 10, 2019 for travel this August 6-28: The airline is offering $54 one-way tickets from San Jose to Los Angeles, $169 tickets from Orlando to San Diego, and $149 one-way tickets from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale. (Note that some of the best fares will be in the airline’s “Saver” class, which is akin to basic economy in that it doesn’t offer ticket changes and travelers will board last.)
If neither of these flight sales grabs your eye, don’t worry—there are still deals to be had. With Hipmunk’s help, we found August flights from Baltimore–Washington International Airport to San Francisco for $179 (39 percent cheaper than the median booking fare for August) and from Seattle to Palm Springs for $119. Summer vacation, here we come.
>>Next: A New Flight Deal Service for Domestic Weekend Getaways
