Tips For Booking Cheap Flights: Tuesday Isn't Best Day For A Deal

If you're trying to book a flight for a vacation this summer, you might want to pay attention to George Hobica.

Hobica watches air fares for a living, he founded the website airfarewatchdog.com and he says there are a lot of misperceptions out there about how to find cheap flights.

Tip #1: Tuesday At 3 p.m. Is Not The Best Time

Hobica says many believe that Tuesdays are the best day to find a ticket deal, but that's not true. Airlines have deals throughout the week and you can sign up to get email alerts when a deal comes out.

Tip #2 Be Flexible If You're Going To Europe

If you want to fly to Europe, Hobica says be flexible. For instance, a flight from Boston to Paris can be pricey. Instead, fly from New York to Berlin, then check out Berlin and make your way to Paris (perhaps via train or a regional flight).

Hobica says some European countries are cheaper to fly into than others. Ireland, he says, is a good place to fly into, because there are fewer fees than other countries. From Dublin or Shannon, you can hop a Ryan Air jet to the continent. Watch the luggage you're bringing on to Ryan Air because they charge by the kilogram over a certain weight for checked baggage.

Tip #3 Look For Airlines With Minimal Fees

Hobica says look domestically for deals, too. Passengers should consider the fees the airlines are charging when booking a ticket. One thing that has passengers up in arms is that some airlines are charging customers to select seats — Hobica says if you don't want to be charged, find a carrier who lets you select a seat for free — like Jet Blue.