Via iStockphoto / @maestermel827 TikTok
A woman is on the verge of a crash out after seeing how much it will cost to fly from California to Tennessee to visit her mother.
Flights that are booked at the last minute usually come with a steep price. One woman was extremely upset after seeing how much it will cost to fly from California to Tennessee just to visit her mother.
In a TikTok with over 65,800 views, Mel (@maestermel827) reveals the round-trip cost to fly from San Francisco to Knoxville.
“I hate this garage can of a country so much,” she begins.
While having the United booking page up, she says, “I haven’t seen my mom in five years because of long-term unemployment. I can’t afford to visit her. She can’t afford to visit me. I’m spending money I literally don’t have.”
To fly out Wednesday, it will cost her $572. One of the flight options for a Thursday costs $1,082. Another for a Friday costs $763.
Craving overdue time with her mother, Mel says she decided to forgo paying rent just so she could pay for the flight.
She says the messed-up part, however, is that it costs $100 to add a carry-on. She then takes a look at the seat map and sees it’s going to cost anywhere from $68 to $172 to secure an aisle or window seat.
“Do you understand how uncomfortable it is to be in an airplane seat when you are overweight? Let alone in the middle,” she concludes.
‘It’s A Timing Thing’
Viewers in the comments section were not all that sympathetic and felt the TikToker is the problem.
“It’s not a country thing, it’s a timing thing. All airlines are going to be more expensive last minute booking,” one TikTok commenter wrote.
“Unfortunately with air travel you have to plan months in advance,” another added.
“It’s because you are booking at the absolute last minute. You need to book about three months out. Even a month out will be a lot cheaper,” a third chimed in.
“They’re $1000 because you’re booking a flight 3 days in advance,” a fourth explained.
Why She Booked Last-Minute Tickets
In a comment to BroBible, Mel explained why she had to book last-minute tickets.
She shared, “I could only arrive and depart on certain days. I didn’t want to go another x number of years risking not seeing my mom because of cost of living/travel. Because of what I earn from odd jobs and receive from financial aid I have limited funds and only had access to those funds a week before the only time I could travel because of grad school and job interviews and also having to be home to deal with repairs for ongoing habitability issues in my apartment.”
Mel also clarified the point of her video.
“I was venting my frustration not at the price of last minute tickets (I’m well aware that they’re more expensive) but at the markup in prices from one day to the next/being charged for carry on bags/and the premiums of even choosing the cheapest seats,” she added.
Cheap Flight Hacks
Other viewers suggested hacks that might make the trip cheaper.
“Definitely book on an incognito browser and look at one way options. I often save money doing 2 one ways over a round trip,” one suggested.
“Try the Hopper app. We travel a lot and it has some of the best prices around,” one revealed.
“You probably already booked but have you tried southwest or Google flights,” one shared.
When Is The Best Time To Book A Flight?
Waiting a day or two before the flight to book will always cost a pretty penny. Airlines know if a flyer is booking week of, customers will likely pay top dollar to get on the flight.
Researchers from UC Berkeley Haas discovered that pricing hikes will be implemented starting 21 days out. The price significantly goes up in 21, 14, and seven days before the flight, so it’s best to book before the surge pricing hits.
For the best prices, Nerdwallet reports that U.S. domestic flights should be booked one to three months in advance. International travel trips should be booked two to eight months in advance.
In terms of when to book, it’ll depend on airlines utilizing pricing fluctuation strategy. As prices will constantly shift, there isn’t one clear answer to which day to book. According to Travel + Leisure, data has shown that Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays are the best days to book flights. It’s also suggested to try to book earlier in the day, and it’s a good idea to set price alerts for your desired flight.
Additional savings can be had if you are flexible with travel dates, adding a layover, being open to different airport options, and flying midweek compared to the weekend. Using incognito browsing and a VPN can also land travelers the best deals.
BroBible reached out to United via email.