1 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: How to avoid the most common airfare booking mistakes. 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 2: I'm Rich Demiro. This is Rich on Tech Daily. 3 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 3: Happy Monday to you. Just got back. 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: From San Francisco, more specifically Petaluma. If you didn't hear 5 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: over the weekend, I was filling in for Leo Laporte 6 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,159 Speaker 1: on his Tech Guy radio show, which is on a 7 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: bunch of radio stations nationwide. Got to go up to 8 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: the Twit studios to do that and it was a blast. 9 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: So if you didn't hear that over the weekend, I'll 10 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: post the audio. 11 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 2: From the show in today's show notes. 12 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 3: All Right, now, let's talk about travel. 13 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: This is one of my favorite topics booking airfare because 14 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,239 Speaker 1: I'm always searching for a fair whether it's to go 15 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: home back to New Jersey where I'm from, somewhere on 16 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 1: vacation or just dreaming most of the time, or somewhere 17 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: for business. 18 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 2: And Hopper is one of the tools that I love 19 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 2: to use. 20 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: This is an app that kind of analyzes billions of 21 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: daily flight searches fifteen billion, they say a day, and 22 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: they analyze all this stuff to help give you the 23 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: best information when it comes to booking airfare. 24 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 3: And what they really do is give you perspective. 25 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,479 Speaker 1: On an airfare. So let's say you're traveling to Hawaii. 26 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: You find an airfare of five hundred dollars, they're going 27 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: to tell you if that's a good deal based on 28 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: the dates and times you're going, because sometimes airfares are 29 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: just more expensive, and they have that historical data to 30 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: let you know. 31 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,039 Speaker 3: So they say they looked at all this stuff. 32 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: And found the most common booking mistakes, and you could 33 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: be losing out as much as five hundred and seventy 34 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: one dollars on domestic trips wow, and a whopping nineteen 35 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty one dollars on international trips. 36 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 2: So here are their costliest mistakes. 37 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 1: Number one, you're an impulse bier. Average cost forty six 38 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,479 Speaker 1: dollars on domestic one thirty nine on international. Hopper found 39 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: that two out of three ticket prices will drop at 40 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,559 Speaker 1: some point within twenty four hours of the original search 41 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: or booking, so they say it pays to wait, which 42 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: is interesting because most of the time, when you find 43 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: a fair, you think that it's going to go up 44 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: immediately because you just found it and it's in your browser. 45 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: But apparently that's not the case, and Hopper also says 46 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: keep in mind, most major carriers in the US allow 47 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: you to cancel your booking within twenty four hours of 48 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,519 Speaker 1: purchase for free. Now, yes, that is true, but I 49 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: will tell you my experience with United Airlines because I 50 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: did take advantage of that one time. 51 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 2: And here's what happened. 52 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 1: They canceled the flight, but they did not automatically refund 53 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: me the fair so it kind of stayed in the 54 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: system as a credit and I was like, no, no, no, 55 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 1: I want my money back, and so I had to 56 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 1: call and get that back. 57 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: So just keep that in mind. 58 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: Your experience could vary depending on the airline that you're using. 59 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: But I'm just telling you that so you know, all right. 60 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: Number two costliest mistake. You're not checking alternate airports. Average 61 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: costs thirty two bucks domestic, ninety nine dollars international. So 62 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: they say, if there's an alternate airport, you can save 63 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: an average of ten percent. 64 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:49,639 Speaker 2: And let's just look at the LA Area. 65 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: You've got Lax, you've got Burbank, you've got Ontario, you've 66 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: got Long Beach, lots of different airports that you can 67 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: fly into, and depending on where you live, one of 68 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,799 Speaker 1: these might even be more convenient. But again, if you're 69 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: open to these things, you could save some cash. Number three, 70 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 1: you're not being. 71 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 2: Flexible with dates. 72 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: They say sixty five dollars on domestic, one ninety eight 73 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: on international, and that is true. In general, Flying on 74 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: Friday is going to cost you twenty percent more than 75 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: flying on the cheapest day. In general, Saturday night days 76 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: are going to cost you four percent more. And let's 77 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 1: face it, if you're going on a weekend trip, everyone 78 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:24,239 Speaker 1: wants to go on Friday. 79 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 2: Return on Sunday. 80 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 1: Tuesday usually the cheapest day to fly, not necessarily the 81 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: cheapest day of book though, so keep that in mind. 82 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 2: You have to be flexible with your dates. And I've 83 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 2: run into this all the time. 84 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: Your kids have certain dates off for spring break, or 85 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: a couple days off during the week because of a 86 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: school program or the teachers are out, and those are 87 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: the best days to fly for you personally. But if 88 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: you extend it a day on either side, you might 89 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: save a lot more money. 90 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 2: All right. Number four, you're booking too late. 91 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: Average cost one hundred and thirty nine dollars on domestic, 92 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: five twenty nine on international. Hopper says, gone are the 93 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: days when you could land a last minute deal because 94 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: the airline discus they had spare seats. 95 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 2: Now this is all done by. 96 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: Computers, so clearly algorithms are at play here. They're making 97 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: sure that every plane is sold out or even over sold. 98 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: This really comes into play whether you're looking at business 99 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: or leisure routes. So for instance, business routes, the best 100 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: time to buy is three months before departure. When it 101 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: comes to consumer routes, it's actually better to buy about 102 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: a month in advance of departure. And finally, number five, 103 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: you're booking too early. So again you don't want a 104 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: book too late, but you don't want to book too early. 105 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 1: So airlines put their flights on sale eleven months before departure. 106 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 1: But according to Hopper's research, you don't really find any 107 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: deals until about one hundred and fifty days prior to 108 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: take off. That's about five months before departure. So if 109 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: you book more than six months ahead, that can actually 110 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 1: cost you. Because the airlines are setting their prices conservatively, 111 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: all those people that are booking early, they're sort of 112 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: paying the most. And I will just tell you from 113 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: what I've noticed in tracking prices, they go up and 114 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: down almost every day and for instance, a flight I 115 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: was tracking from Lax to Newark to go home, it 116 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: was five p sixty, then three eighty the next day, 117 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 1: then four forty two, then five forty seven. 118 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 2: So it goes up and down. 119 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: And that's the beauty of having an app like Hopper 120 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: or using something like Google Flights to track your prices 121 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: is that you can see, look, okay, this is a 122 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: comfortable price for me. I'm just gonna go ahead and 123 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: book it. So again, Hopper is a great app. Definitely 124 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,600 Speaker 1: check it out. Download it. Just go to my website 125 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: richontech dot tv for the link. 126 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 2: If you like this podcast, please rate and review it. 127 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: I love the ratings, but the written reviews really help 128 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 1: in getting more people on Apple podcasts to discover rich 129 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: on tech. 130 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 2: Thanks so much for listening. I'm Rich Demiro. I'll talk 131 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 2: to you real soon.