Atlanta Woman Checks Price Of Frontier Flight To Chicago. Then She Checks Again On A Different Day And Saves Big

At a time when everything seems to be getting more expensive, people are looking for new ways to save money—especially while doing fun things like traveling.

If you’re interested in saving money on flights, a new viral video may have the answer. In a video with over 482,000 views, TikTok user Nya Aaliyah (@iamnyaaaliyah) explains that she’s been price shopping for a flight from Atlanta to Chicago.

Initially, she was quoted a price of $162 from Frontier Airlines. However, she eventually received an email notification from Google Flights that the price had gone down to $84.

“The price dropped because it’s a Tuesday,” she adds.

Believing that she can get a lower price by buying the ticket from the airport, she goes to her airport and asks the desk attendant for the same flight. After a bit of conversation, she’s able to get the flight for just $37.96. The worker claims that this low price is possible in person as it allows the airline to avoid paying certain taxes.

“Stop paying all this money purchasing flights online and go in person and get it for cheap,” she summarizes.

In the caption, she notes that this only applies to Frontier and Spirit Airlines flights. Additionally, she notes that baggage fees are not included.

Are Flights Really Cheaper On Tuesday?

One of the many interesting claims made in the TikToker’s video is that the flight price went down because it was Tuesday. Is this really when flight prices decrease?

It’s unclear, though most experts agree that the day of the week one chooses to buy tickets isn’t especially important.

As noted by CNBC, the day of the week one booked a flight used to matter much more than it does today. Airlines used to release fares at set times each week, allowing flyers to buy cheap tickets on a first-come, first-served basis.

Now, however, airlines set their prices based on a complex mix of algorithms and demand. Consequently, there’s no sizable chance that a ticket will be cheaper on Tuesday than it is on Wednesday.

That said, if you’re set on the idea that booking on a certain day is going to save you money, Tuesday isn’t that day. According to Expedia, tickets booked on Sunday tend to be cheaper than those booked on other days.

Why Is It Cheaper To Buy Tickets At The Airport?

As noted by the TikToker, this only applies to Frontier and Spirit Airlines. Still, if you’re willing to go all the way to the airport, you can save a significant amount of money.

The reason is that airlines must pay a 7.5% excise tax on airfare, but not on fees. Thus, adding fees to online and over-the-phone transactions is a way for low-cost carriers like Frontier and Spirit to get a little more money without paying taxes.

However, in order to be legally compliant, this fee must be optional. Consequently, there must be a way to avoid it—which is where buying at the airport comes in.

Savings aren’t always massive. For example, One Mile At a Time claims that the standard savings for a Frontier Airlines ticket is $23 per segment. That said, if one is buying several flights, or if the flight is already fairly cheap, they could see themselves saving a substantial amount of money.

Commenters Say It Works

In the comments section, many users spoke to the efficacy of this advice.

“My husband & I and our 3 kids, went to Florida for our son football tournament. Round trip for 5 people for 10 days we paid $158.00 total,” wrote a user.

“been doing this for years… round trip of a week to Jamaica for $53,” added another.

“Myself and my three kids got a round tri flight to Disney for $113 dollars,” stated a third. “I went to the airport and got our tickets!!”

BroBible reached out to Frontier Airlines via email and Nya Aaliyah via TikTok comment and Instagram direct message.