If you’re tired of shopping around for the best airline fares, take a tip from the experts who have studied price variation and be smart about when you make your ticket purchase.  The trends in flight prices are heavily dependent upon the airfare wars that occur as one airline tries to gain a competitive edge in the market, forcing a response from other carriers.  As a result, you have the highest probability of cashing in on the best airline fares early on Wednesday mornings.

According to experienced professionals in the airline industry, small airlines are typically the instigators in a fare war, while the major airlines are the ones who hike up the ticket prices.  These major changes are observed most often on Friday evenings, just before the computer databases are refreshed with new ticket prices for the weekend.

Here’s how the market typically fluctuates: Major Airline A decides to raise its fares late on a Friday evening.  Other competitors recognize this opportunity to match the price hike, and therefore update their own bargain fares by Saturday morning.  However, if the competitors decide not to implement the higher prices, Airline A will likely drop its fare back to the lower cost by Monday morning.  The lesson here is that you won’t find the best airline fares over the weekend.

Here’s how the typical fare war will play out:  Airline B is just starting up, so in an effort to attract some new customers, the company undercuts the market by offering low airfares late on a Friday evening.  The major airlines that service the same routes are therefore forced to match the low rate to stay competitive.  Some of the big airlines will wait to see how the new fare does in the marketplace, and then join the fare battle late on Monday with an even lower ticket price.  Now all the airlines with a vested interest have to match this new low fare, and that is when the consumer suddenly has the advantage.  By the end of the day Tuesday, or very early Wednesday morning, you can book your ticket with the confidence that you’ve taken advantage of the best airline fares.

Keep in mind that the fare wars tend to fizzle out after Wednesday, and the cycle begins again on Friday night, so don’t hesitate when making your purchase.  While some carriers may give you the option of exchanging your tickets if a better fare becomes available, the fee you will pay to transfer your tickets will usually outweigh the refund on the tickets.  Keep this valuable advice in mind as you investigate the best airline fares for the upcoming travel season.