Aug 25, 2010



For all the math haters, here is the reason to start liking math. For all the folks who are regular or occasional travelers by flight and what to have a cheaper ticket, here it is. No, it’s not any discount offer from an airliner, instead math's is out to help you.



Japanese economists have come up with a formula that will help you bag the cheapest holiday flights. It is simple - buy tickets exactly eight weeks in advance and book in the afternoon.

The mind boggling formula “A = gUG + min(k - g, (1 - g)(1 - r)” has been prepared by Makoto Watanabe and Marc Moller and published in the latest edition of The Economic Journal.

Booking more than eight weeks ahead may seem like the best option, but it could mean you risk having to pay to alter your booking if your plans change.

But although the formula from Makoto Watanabe and Marc Moller, published in the latest edition of The Economic Journal, will be invaluable to holidaymakers, it's not a complete answer to our indecision.

The economists note how differently you must act when booking flights compared to tickets for a West End show.