Business or pleasure, short trip or long, we all want to watch our budgets and book cheap flights. Of cousre, “cheap” is a relative term in the airline industry. “Cheapest” of your flight options is probably more appropriate. Here are the top five ways to keep your credit card spending in check and save on air travel this summer. Most are tips you’ve probably heard before, but the number one piece of advice is based on new data.

1) Purchase tickets on Tuesdays; fly on Wednesdays. Specifically, buy your tickets at 3 p.m. on Tuesdays. So says Consumer Reports based on data collected by FareCompare. Apparently airlines list their new ticket sales on Monday evenings. So then on Tuesday morning, the airlines start competing with one another to offer the best deals. By Tuesday afternoon, around three o’clock, the best deals of the week are in the system. As for Wednesday flights, it is reportedly the least-traveled day, thus the cheapest day to fly.

2) Book ahead. This is an oldie but a goodie. At least three weeks is best, and no later than two weeks as a rule.

3) Use fare comparison websites like Kayak, Orbitz, Expedia and Priceline, just to name a few. From one site you can check the fares of several. Just be sure to note the way each site displays its booking fees and taxes. Some are included in the flight price as displayed in the comparison charts. Others note in fine print that those displayed fares are plus booking fees and taxes that will be tacked on at the end.

4) Be flexible with your flight dates and times. Granted, this isn’t an option for everyone considering work schedules and other factors. But if you can be flexible about the days you fly, and what time of day, you’ll definitely get a better deal.

5) Do not hesitate. If and when you find a good deal, book it! Waiting just a day or even a few hours to jump on a low fare can mean losing the opportunity altogether.

I have one more tip that didn’t make the top five but would come in at number six.

Be flexible about destinations! Most fare compare sites offer email alerts letting you know when there are good deals on flights from your city to other cities across the country and around the world. It’s simply a matter of embracing your adventurous spirit and traveling to a place fate wants you to go.

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