--- source_url: "https://www.kombo.co/en/flight" title: Cheaper Airline Tickets - Compare on Kombo mirrored_at: 2026-08-23T01:07:23.981Z host: www.kombo.co cited_in_42a: true mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/www.kombo.co/en/flight" --- > **Original source:** https://www.kombo.co/en/flight ### When is the best time to buy a plane ticket to pay less? The ideal time to buy a plane ticket depends on several factors. Most companies use "yield management," which adapts prices based on different criteria, but mostly on supply and demand. However, there are some commonalities that can help identify periods when prices are, on average, cheaper: - In general, it is recommended to book between **6 and 10 weeks in advance** to get the best price. According to another Skyscanner study, the optimal period is 30 weeks before departure, for the most foresighted. - Several studies, including one based on Google Flights data from 2017 to 2022, indicate that tickets are on average cheaper when purchased at night **between 4 and 6 a.m**. or at least after midnight. - As for the day of purchase, **Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday** are the days to prefer. - It is best to **choose a departure day on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday**. Avoid leaving on weekends or during school holidays. - Not surprisingly, **July and August are the most expensive months** of the year. ### Are last-minute tickets a good tip? Beware of misconceptions! **For long-haul flights**, last-minute ticket prices are actually higher (+29% on average according to a study by Challenges). It is for short-haul flights that prices drop, starting from **15 days before** the departure date. Therefore, we do not recommend waiting until the last minute to buy your plane tickets, especially if you have a specific destination in mind. However, if you like romantic comedies, we encourage you to go on a last-minute trip to a surprise destination 💙. ### Is it a good idea to buy tickets from low-cost airlines? The best way to make the right choice is to understand how they work. Low-cost airlines like Ryanair, Easyjet or Transavia seek to reduce ticket prices through several methods. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages, so it's up to you to see what suits your needs: - Selling tickets via the **internet** to reduce agency fees → so be careful if you prefer to buy your tickets with a "real" person because you need more specific explanations or advice. - Departure and arrival from **smaller airports** (like Paris Beauvais) or via less convenient terminals for access to reduce airport fees → to be evaluated based on your own logistical constraints. - **Checked baggage fee** → this is one of the best-known disadvantages of low-cost airlines. So always check the overall price of your trip, sometimes the baggage supplement is enough to make the low-cost more expensive than other airlines. - **Cabin baggage fee** → beware, some airlines even charge for the luggage you keep with you on the plane. - **Paid seat selection** → this is the great tragedy of families and couples, as the seat reservation option is chargeable. So if you want to be sure to be next to each other, remember to include this additional cost in your calculation. - **Other paid options** → in general, this is where airlines make up for it. From luggage to seat selection to snacks, between 25% and 50% of these companies' revenues come from options. - More **limited choice of routes** → Low-cost airlines calculate which routes are most profitable to maximize their revenues. They therefore often cover fewer routes, which is why it is interesting to use a comparator to always find the best option. - **Work pace of staff** → Staff of these airlines work more, but no worries, the industry is highly regulated, so there are no safety problems. For example, a pilot cannot work more than 11 hours in a row, regardless of the airline. - **Aircraft profitability** → Low-cost airlines do everything they can to avoid keeping the plane on the ground. Indeed, a grounded plane earns nothing - **More passengers by plane** → since these planes do not have first class, airlines gain space! The seats are also closer together to fit more people. They also benefit from a higher occupancy rate. This allows for cheaper tickets, even if you are more cramped. - **Use of a modern fleet** → Low-cost airlines are often relatively new and try to keep a fleet of new planes to have fewer maintenance costs. So, it all depends on your preferences. The ideal is to compare the overall cost, as low-cost airlines are not always the cheapest. **Direct flight or with connection(s), which is more cost-effective?** The choice between a direct flight and a flight with connection(s) will depend on several factors. The advantages of a direct flight include: - Less total travel time, as you don't have to stop along the way to change planes. - Less stress, as you don't have to worry about connections. - More comfort if you are carrying a lot of baggage. The advantages of a flight with connection(s) include: - Often lower fares than direct flights, especially if you are traveling long distances. - The possibility of making a stopover in an interesting city or country, which can be a enriching experience. - Greater flexibility in terms of itinerary and travel time, which can be useful for travelers who want to save money or who are looking to maximize their travel time. Again, it's best to compare! ### Why book a round-trip flight directly? There are several reasons why it can be advantageous to book round-trip tickets: - **Better fares:** Airlines and online travel agents offer more favorable fares for round-trip tickets than for one-way tickets. - **Less stress:** By booking all flights at once, you can avoid having to book outbound and return flights separately, which can be stressful and time-consuming. - **Better control over schedules:** By booking outbound and return flights at once, you have more control over flight schedules, which can be useful in minimizing layovers or wait times between flights. ### How do flight comparators work? Flight comparators collect prices from different airlines and then display them to allow users to **find the best prices**. They use algorithms to explore **data from airlines and online travel agencies**. Flight comparators can operate in three modes: - Use computer programs called "crawler bots" to **extract real-time prices** from airline websites. - **Rely on commercial agreements** with airlines to obtain pricing data. - **Work in partnership** with online travel agencies to offer additional fares to their users. Once the prices are collected, flight comparators sort and display them according to the user's search criteria, such as date, departure and return time, airline, layovers, etc. Users can then compare options to find the cheapest flight that meets their needs. Flight comparators can also provide other useful information, such as flight schedules, flight times, baggage costs, etc. Finally, once the user has chosen a flight, they can usually book it directly through the comparator, or be redirected to the airline or online travel agency website to finalize the reservation. Flight comparators can also offer additional services, such as travel insurance and payment options. As you can see, the strength of **a comparator largely lies in the number of companies from which it is able to obtain tickets**. This is how it has the best chance of finding the best prices. At Kombo, for example, we reference more than **400 airlines but also trains, buses, and carpooling companies**.