Best time to buy a plane ticket? On the weekend, according to study

　　A new study says the best time to buy plane tickets is on the weekend

　　One economist has good news for bargain hunters: According to his data, you don’t have to sacrifice a good night’s sleep in order to get a cheap airplane ticket. That’s because tickets purchased on weekends are actually about 5 percent cheaper than those bought during the week.

　　"What we find is that when you look at otherwise very similar tickets, the tickets that were purchased on the weekends are about 5 percent lower," Texas A&M University economist Steven Puller told 1200 WOAI.

　　Published in the latest issue of the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Puller’s data flies in the face of conventional wisdom, which suggests that if you want the best deal, you should purchase a ticket on a Tuesday or Wednesday, specifically at around 1 am.

　　"Your typical purchaser on the weekends is going to be more price sensitive, and airlines might realize that and lower their fares," Puller told the station.

　　Still, some conventional wisdom did hold up in the study. For example, you’re still better off purchasing your ticket several weeks in advance, rather than waiting until the last minute for a good deal.

　　However, there are some caveats to the findings. Most prominently, Puller says the findings apply only to tickets purchased for locations that are not considered prime vacation destinations. That’s because there is less market competition from business travelers during the week, which would typically drive the price down, according to his findings.

　　Puller’s data is also strictly based on nonstop, round-trip flights. So, if you’re trying to find a great deal on Christmas flights, you’re still largely on your own.

　　一位经济学家给爱淘便宜货的人带来了福音。根据他的研究数据，你不必为了买一张廉价机票而熬夜牺牲你宝贵的睡眠时间。因为周末购买的机票价格实际上比平时便宜5%左右。

　　美国德州农工大学的经济学家史蒂芬•普勒在接受1200WOAI广播电台采访时说：“我们发现，比较类似机票后可以看出，周末购买的机票价格比平时低5%左右。”

　　普勒的研究报告发表在最新一期的《经济行为与组织》杂志上，他的数据和传统观点大相径庭。传统观点认为，如果你想买到最优惠的机票，你应该在周二或周三购买，而且最好在凌晨一点左右。

　　普勒告诉电台的记者说：“喜欢在周末购买机票的人对价格更加敏感，航空公司也许意识到了这一点，特意调低了票价。”

　　不过，这一研究报告也支持一些传统的观点。例如，二者都认为，提前几周买机票还是比拖到最后一刻买票要划算。

　　然而，这一研究结果还是存在一些限制条件。最突出的一个限制条件是，据普勒说，该研究结果只适用于购买前往非热门度假地的机票。因为他的研究发现，非工作日购买机票的话，所面临的来自商务旅客的市场竞争就不会那么激烈，这通常都会拉低票价。

　　普勒是严格地参照直达往返航班的数据得出结果的。所以，如果你想买到最优惠的圣诞节机票，很大程度上你还是得依赖自己的判断。

　　Vocabulary:

　　fly in the face of: 完全违反，与……大相径庭

　　caveat: 警告，告诫，附加说明

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