What's the best time to buy and fly cheap.

ONLINE BOOKING
SAMANTHA BOMKAMP
NEW YORK

You scour websites. You set up  fare  alerts.
But the real secret in getting the best    price
for an airline ticket boils down to two things:
when you look and when you book.
  Trouble is, not all  peak  travel  times    are
created equal. The sweet spot  when  tickets
are cheapest can vary by weeks,   according
to travel data analysed for the     Associated
Press  by  the  online   booking      company
Expedia.
  Take the next two big travel weekends.
Based on an analysis  of ticket  prices   over
the last four years, Expedia has  found   that
the best time to book the US Independence
Day Holiday on July 4 was between one
and two months in advance.
  In the United States, the rules change
dramatically for the labor Day holiday,which
for the Labor Day holiday, which falls on
 the first Monday in September and marks
 the traditional end of summer. Those looking
to travel  that  weekend    (This year Sept 6),
based  on   trends  since 2007,  can  get the -
best deal buying three to four weekds out.
They  are  30  per  cent  higher,  on average,
if you book less than a week before
summer's last hoorah.
  But how can two holiday weekends
so close together have such different  rules
for winning cheap fares?
  Expedia analyst Daniel Kissin said it is
all in the timing. Following the old-fashioned
ruled of supply and demand, it makes sense
to book early for the   most  popular  travel
holidays.  At other times of the year, though,
it is better to gamble and hold out for that
cheaper fare closer to your travel date.
  The rules of low fares are evolving quickly
as airlines recover from the recession. Last,
year, procastination was the name of
the  game. Because  travel   demand    was
sluggish,  airlines  discounted     cheat  seats
or l  aunched    fare sales close to flight time.
This year, travel  demand   is  inching up and
airlines have slimmed ther fleets. That means
fewer seats with more demand-the perfect
equation for higher fares.
  Even though airlines are trying to raise fares
across the board, it clearly is not all working
out. On less-travelled weekends, consumers
with an eye for gargains still have leg up.
  Certain destinations also have different rules.
Procastinators with island dreams, listen up:
That flight to Hawaii will be cheaper the
more you wait.
  The reason? Kissin said because Hawaii is
a more expendsive destination, travellers tend
to book earlier. The airlines khow that. And if
flights are not full within   a    couple weeks of
departure, discounts are bound to pop up.
  The same could be said about flights oveseas
to Europe, Asia or other hot spots, so keep  a
steady hand. A cheaper  fare  might   be a few
days away.
  When you are   ready    to    book  that flight,
do    not    forget    to   book   the    hotel, too.
Expedia     spokesman   Adam Anderson says
booking     seperately      is  on   of the biggest
money-losing mistakes people make.
Reserving    everything   together  online could
save     you  hundreds of dollars depending on
the price of your trip. AP