HERE'S HOW TO GET THE BEST AIRLINE TICKET DEAL

The best time to travel each year is during January and February, as flight prices plummet after the holiday season when consumers try to cut back on spending. So for those not burnt out from holiday travel and can spare some extra change, the Internet is bursting with great flight deals.

“People are spent and traveled out, and there aren’t as many destinations that are desirable for mid-winter travel since a lot of the bigger cities in the U.S. are experiencing colder weather, such as Boston, Chicago and even Atlanta,” George Hobica, founder of AirfareWatchdog, told Mashable. “Airfares are always lowered from about now until Mid-February, when the school vacations start up – with the exception of some higher fares around Martin Luther King weekend.”

1. Look for Airline Tweets

A low fare could pop up at any minute of the day or week, so shop around, follow tweets — because the best deals, even if they're good for travel over a long period, last only a few hours — and be prepared to go wherever it's cheap rather than where you can't afford.

2. Sign Up for Alerts

First, sign up for fare alerts and email newsletter that sends cheap flight deals based on your home airport. Most domestic deals are and some right now are so low, it’s mind-boggling. 

In addition, non-stop, round-trip flights from New York to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines are unusually inexpensive, including taxes, and that fare has been steady for a few months.

3. Let Web Sites Do Your Legwork

Another site worth checking out, which is perfect for flexible travelers. By typing “everywhere” into the destination search and selecting when you want to travel, the site reveals the cheapest options out there.

There are also many apps that let you search “everywhere” through its Explore feature, which shows on a map the prices to fly to certain destinations.

4. Know When — Exactly — to Buy

While searching for deals, remember that traveling on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the cheapest days to fly, while Friday and Sunday are the busiest travel days and the most expensive. The most cost-efficient time to fly is also first thing in the morning and red-eyes, according to FareCompare.com, followed by lunchtime and dinner-hour flights.

The best time to purchase an airline ticket, however, is Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET, as discounted flights hit the sites. Most of these specials are pulled by Thursday, FareCompare said.You can still get great deals now and all year round by putting in a little time (and using a little strategy) to get what you want.

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