Williams: WE ARE BACK, AND NOW WE GO TO THE AIR. AND WHILE THIS IS NOT A PROMISE OF COMFORT, IT MAY

Williams: WE ARE BACK, AND NOW WE GO TO THE AIR. AND WHILE THIS IS NOT A PROMISE OF COMFORT, IT MAY GET YOU A BETTER PRICE. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE IS A DAY OF THE WEEK AND A TIME OF DAY WHEN BUYING AIRLINE TICKETS SAVES YOU THE MOST MONEY. THE SAME WAY AIRLINES TRY TO REDUCE car rental discounts for florida resident FLYING car rental discounts for florida resident TO A SCIENCE, CONSUMERS CAN NOW USE THAT SCIENCE TO THEIR OWN ADVANTAGE. NBC s TOM COSTELLO COVERS AVIATION FOR US AND HAS TONIGHT S REPORT. Costello: MID-MORNING AT L.A.X., WHERE DAISY ELLINGTON AND HER FAMILY WERE RETURNING TO MINNEAPOLIS. car rental discounts for florida resident BUT THE TRIP WASN T CHEAP. car rental discounts for florida resident Ellington: IT WAS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE WE THOUGHT, OKAY, WE RE GOING TO DO A REALLY INEXPENSIVE TRIP, AND $340, THAT S NOT TOO BAD AT ALL, BUT THEN IN THE END, WHEN YOU RE PAYING $500. Costello: EXPERTS SAY THERE IS A STRATEGY TO SAVING car rental discounts for florida resident MONEY. START LOOKING AT AIRFARES THREE MONTHS BEFORE YOU WANT TO TRAVEL. THE PERFECT MOMENT TO BUY? TUESDAY AT 3:00 P.M. AFTER AIRLINES CUT FARES AND COMPETITORS car rental discounts for florida resident MATCH PRICES ON AS MANY AS 20,000 FLIGHTS A DAY. THE CHEAPEST DAYS TO TRAVEL? TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, car rental discounts for florida resident AND SATURDAY, WHEN THERE ARE FEWER BUSINESS TRAVELERS. Seaney: THE NUMBER-ONE MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN THEY RE BUYING AIRLINE TICKETS IS PROCRASTINATING. Costello: WHATEVER YOU DO, AVOID BUYING A TICKET WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OF DEPARTURE, WHEN BUSINESS TRAVELERS WILL PAY TOP DOLLAR. car rental discounts for florida resident JUST LOOK AT THE PRICES car rental discounts for florida resident FROM WASHINGTON car rental discounts for florida resident REAGAN TO SAN FRANCISCO. FLY NEXT SUNDAY, IT WILL COST $1,149 ROUND TRIP. BOOK NOW, FLY IN TWO WEEKS, $877. LEAVE IN THREE WEEKS, THE PRICE DROPS TO $742. BUT PAY FOR A TRIP SEVEN WEEKS AWAY, YOU CAN GO FOR $465, A $684 SAVINGS. Seaney: IF YOU ASK A PERSON IN THE AIRCRAFT TO ACTUALLY RAISE THEIR HAND AND ASK HOW MUCH THEY PAID, YOU D SEE CLUSTERS OF PEOPLE THAT PAID DIFFERENT PRICE POINTS DEPENDING ON WHAT DAY THEY BOUGHT, WHEN THEY BOUGHT IT, WHAT DAY THEY RE TRAVELING. Costello: YOU CAN EVEN SAVE MONEY IF YOU FLY HUNGRY, BEFORE BREAKFAST car rental discounts for florida resident AND DURING LUNCH AND DINNER, WHEN PLANES AREN T AS FULL. AND WHILE EVERYONE PREFERS TO FLY NONSTOP, YOU CAN OFTEN SAVE UP TO 50% IF YOU MAKE A CONNECTION AND HAVE A LAYOVER, SACRIFICING car rental discounts for florida resident TIME FOR SAVINGS. THE MOST EXPENSIVE DAY TO FLY? SUNDAY. SEATS ARE OFTEN FULL WITH VACATIONERS FLYING HOME. AS FOR HOLIDAY TRAVEL... Ellington: PROBABLY JUST GOING TO BE IN THE MINNESOTA COLD ALL WINTER. car rental discounts for florida resident Costello: ...IF YOU CAN, BOOK NOW. TOM COSTELLO, NBC NEWS, WASHINGTON.