Q: Airline ticket prices just keep rising and rising. We’re no experts, but always try to schedule flights to get the best possible fares. According to online travel info gurus, the basic rule is that the cheapest flights are on Wednesday nights.

However, on our past two trips, we got lowest fares on a Sunday night and Tuesday morning. What’s the latest on getting the cheapest tickets? PRJ, Richmond VA

A: Frankly, PRJ, booking cheap flights is mostly luck these days. Because of continuing digital advances in online info gathering, airline beancounters are now as crafty as Vegas blackjack dealers. They’re continuously in instant touch as people buy tickets and reserve seats, and they manipulate prices to the airlines’ advantage. Their ultimate task is to fill each flight’s seat with the highest-paying customer.

In other words, while your research about mid-week and red-eye flights may sometimes result in lower fares, it ain’t necessarily so. Your best bet is to take time to shop online prices and special offers, then book when you believe you have the best to meet your schedule.

For more details about how airline pricing pros deal out fares, go to www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-03-28/how-to-find-the-cheapest-airline-flights#r=rss