If there’s ONE thing you should know about plane ticket prices, it’s that they vary! A lot. There are 6 main variables that make the cost of flights change drastically, and most people don’t pay enough attention to the last 3 ones. That’s normal; they’re the hardest ones to master.
Knowing how to buy plane tickets at a lower price is arguably the most important skill for travelers who want to save money, and Flytrippers is here to help you. We’ve been helping Canadians travel for less for 8 years.
On a flight to Singapore, I once sat next to someone who had paid $1500 for the exact same flight I had paid $500 for… Ouch. You don’t want to be the person who pays 3 times more, so we’ll share a lot of content about this topic in the coming weeks.
To improve our already-published teaser on how to save money on flights, I want to share this important basic knowledge right away.
Here are the 6 main variables that make plane ticket prices vary — part 2 will have concrete examples for each of the variables soon!
Overview of the 6 variables that make flight prices vary
Like most travel tips, it’s nothing that complicated! But it’s normal not to know if you’ve never invested any time in learning about all this.
Here are the 6 variables that make flight prices vary:
- Where you travel
- When you travel
- How you travel
- Where you book
- When you book
- How you book
By knowing them, it really is easier to become a pro at finding cheap flights like us. And as the price of flights varies so much, it is the most vital skill to have to save on the total cost of your trip.
I’ll summarize how to save concretely in one sentence for each variable!
Here’s an overview before giving you more information about each variable and tip in part 2.
1. Where you travel
The most obvious.
Where you travel — where you go but also where you leave from — will affect the price.
What few people know is that it’s not just the flight distance and the city pair itself that affect the price but also the **order** of the flights as well as the competition on the route.
Flying from Toronto to Miami is not the same price as flying from Miami to Toronto. Flying from Toronto to Paris is really not the same price as flying from Paris to Toronto.
2. When you travel
Another pretty basic one.
When you travel — most importantly, the date, but also the hour — will affect the price.
And peak periods are not the same for all destinations.
Flying to a warm destination during the Christmas break is not the same price as flying there in the middle of September. Flying to Europe in mid-July is not the same price as flying there in mid-January.
3. How you travel
Not as well known.
How you travel — whether a flight is nonstop or not, or the inclusions on that airline — will affect the price. Nonstops and better airlines cost more, as they should, although many people seem to not understand.
Flying nonstop to Tokyo on Air Canada is not the same price as flying a 2-stop itinerary on United. Flying on Emirates is not the same price as on flydubai.
4. Where you book
One that is too often overlooked.
Where you book — whether on a different booking site or with a rewards program to get outsized value — will affect the price. However, it’s the only one of these 6 variables that doesn’t cause the price to vary **100% of the time**!
Flying the exact same flight is not **always** the same price on every booking site. But any flight is never the same price in points (the price in points is NOT tied to the price in cash, if you use rewards of the more lucrative type).
5. When you book
This one is the hardest part for many.
When you book is just as important — or even **more** important — than when you fly, as it will most definitely affect the price.
Too many people focus on the date of the trip, but not the date of the booking.
Flying between Toronto and Montreal is not the same price if you book last minute. Flying anywhere is not the same price if you book too early, either!
6. How you book
This is the least known one.
How you book — specifically if you use booking techniques that pro fliers know — will affect the price.
The self-transfer tip is the most common example, but there are so many more.
Flying to some place in Europe is not the same price if you book 2 separate roundtrips instead of having it all on just 1 (more expensive) ticket. Flying anywhere is not the same price if you apply many other pro tips instead of just booking a normal roundtrip like almost everyone always does.
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Summary
There are 6 main variables that make plane ticket prices vary enormously. The first 3 are about the flight itself and are pretty well-known, but the last 3 are about the booking specifically and are so often overlooked. They’re all really good to know more about if you want to pay less for your flights. Don’t miss concrete examples for each variable in part 2 soon.
What would you like to know about why do flight prices vary? Tell us in the comments below.
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Featured image: Alifu Alifu Atoll, Maldives (photo credit: Ishan @seefromthesky)
