When is the best time to book flights?
Is a weekend trip more expensive? Which considerations should you take into account while booking flights? So, you want affordable air tickets but do not know when and how to get the best deals.
While some might suggest booking early to save on flight tickets, others believe they can get the best deals on weekdays. Both are correct but partially, and you can do your research to avoid any confusion. I am here to cover all the possible aspects and enable you to save on flights.
Now, we will come to when is the best time to book flights. However, you will not find any single rule to get the best deals. Instead, you can consider many strategies to save your hard-earned money. Here are all the possible factors you can go through to save on flight tickets.
What Is the Best Time to Get Affordable Flight Deals?
You cannot find a particular time since it changes based on the season and other factors. However, a few considerations can make a difference. Here are the details.
Book your flight three to eight months before your travel date
Avoid booking at the last minute
Avoid weekends
Avoid holiday seasons
These considerations can save on flight tickets. You can book your domestic flights two months before your travel date. However, you can get more benefits if you book international flights six to eight months in advance. Besides, some other factors can contribute to the end cost.
The time of the year, the route, and the season are determining factors. The price will not drop closer to your travel date. Also, you might need to spend more if you book before eight months for international flights and before four months for domestic flights.
How Far in Advance Should You Book?
As mentioned earlier, the best time for booking is one to three months for domestic trips, but you can book two to eight months before for international trips. However, you can book earlier when planning a trip during the holiday season.
You might get affordable deals if you book two weeks before the departure. But airlines offer these deals occasionally, and you might spend more if you rely on last-minute deals. In brief, you will not find any perfect time to get the best deals. The rates are unpredictable, and sometimes, you might not find the most affordable deals even if you try your best.
Long-haul and Short-haul Flights: How to Get the Best Deals
Short-haul flights are quick domestic flights and last from thirty minutes to three hours. However, medium-haul flights will last from three to six hours. The benefit of short-haul flights is they are more predictable.
You can book these flights four months before your travel date to get the best deals. The price of flight tickets will be competitive for popular destinations, and you might not notice a considerable difference.
In the US, you can get cheap flights to popular destinations, including New York and Washington. You might find budget deals, but you might not get affordable deals in smaller cities, including Salt Lake City. Hence, the price might vary based on the location.
You will have more competition in Europe for short-haul flights. You can book your flight a few months before to get the best deals. In brief, you will have more options on short-haul flights, and you might pay twenty to thirty dollars less than the original price. But you can save more on long-haul flights.
The long-haul flights cover a new border and last more than six hours. You can book in advance if you want to save on long-haul flights. You can book from six weeks to two months before your travel date to get the lowest price.
This is a general guideline, and the price might vary based on the airlines. You can research airlines while looking for the best deals. Also, the route and season will play determining roles.
When You Can Get the Best Deals for Domestic Flights
So, now, you know how far you can book to get the best deals, but it is not the only consideration. The airfare might increase at a certain period in a year, and you will spend more if you consider booking at that time.
Experts believe the airfare goes twenty percent up in May compared to April. Imagine you will have to spend twenty percent more if you book in May. Also, the pandemic has changed the perception of people when it comes to airfares.
The airlines manage the pricing actively four to six weeks before the departure. They change the price based on the supply and demand and decide they need to lower or raise the current prices. You will have low-priced tickets when most seats are vacant, but it is not always predictable.
The computer will recognize you as a business traveler if you pass twenty-one to fourteen days. The price will go up, and you might need to spend more. However, the tickets will be available at a lower price if most business buyers do not consider buying the higher-priced flight tickets.
The airlines will sell tickets at $300 instead of $400 to make money instead of leaving seats empty. However, this offer is not achievable all the time.
What is the right time then?
You can book three weeks in advance for your domestic trip. It is worth mentioning that the price might go up to a quarter in the second week and thirty percent in the final week. Hence, you can avoid waiting for the last moment.
When You Can Get the Best Deals for International Flights
You need to book in advance for international flights to get affordable deals. You can plan much before since you can save more on international flights. For example, you can book forty-five days before the travel date while booking from New York to Paris.
However, you can buy your flight tickets eighty days before if the destination is Cancun. Know your travel destination and route, and then plan for booking. Yes, international travel will require more planning compared to domestic trips.
Airlines load their flight tickets into booking sites twelve months before the travel date. Hence, you can check tickets around this time to find the best deals. There might be minor fluctuations, but you can check and book when you get the best deals.
Avoid waiting a long since the price can go up while approaching the departure date. Many avoid booking 150 days before the travel date since they believe the price might drop. However, you can book earlier if you find suitable deals.
How to Find the Best Deals for Holiday Trips
You might need to spend a bit more on your holiday trip. However, you will have to book much before the time or at the last moment. You will have to spend more if you book tickets a few days or weeks before the holidays. You can save a lot if you consider traveling on that day.
You can travel on New Year’s Day and Thanksgiving Day and save on your trip. Also, you will have a less stressful and much quieter experience if you travel on holiday. Many people avoid traveling on holidays since they want to relax and have more fun. But this is the best time if you want to save on the airfare.
It will be similar to booking six months before your travel date. Hence, consider this option when you have a limited budget, and it supports your schedule.
How to Find the Best Deals for Summer Travels
You might have noticed air travels are more expensive during summer. The airlines charge more due to the increasing travel demand in summer. You will experience a price hike closer to the travel date. You can plan an international trip instead of a domestic one while traveling during the summer.
The price of domestic flights can go up around thirty percent in the last weeks, and you can avoid this when looking for affordable options. However, you can consider traveling in August since the prices of both domestic and international flights will be low during this month.
Now you know how to get the best deals for domestic, international, holiday, and summer trips. You can plan accordingly and save a lot in the end. It is better to start your research before the travel date to get better deals.
Also, you can have a flexible time and destination to save even more. Instead of focusing on one airline, you can check the prices of different airlines. You can save a lot on your flight ticket by following this approach. Also, there are many other factors to save on flight tickets.
Tips to Get the Best Flight Deals
We all want to save on flights, and some prefer to book before the time to get the cheapest deals. However, this might not help all the time. In addition to the travel time, you can compare the shopping and get the best possible deals.
Yes, you can get the best deals with a fair comparison. Check different airlines, price fluctuations, routes, and affordable deals. Also, you can consider the following factors.
Book Your Tickets on Tuesdays
The best day to buy your flight ticket is Tuesday. The best time to book any US flight is 3 p.m. eastern time. The reason is that many airlines offer weekly sales on Tuesday and you can get the best deals if you consider this time.
Compare the prices of different airlines before going ahead and find the most affordable ones. Since you can find many deals on Tuesday, you can make a fair comparison and decide. But you can also find better deals on other days based on the season.
Avoid Shopping Too Late & Too Early
Many think they will get the best deals if they book flight tickets too early. However, your prediction might go wrong, and you might spend more if you buy too early. Similarly, you can avoid waiting for too long. You can find a suitable time in these shopping windows.
For domestic tickets, you can consider buying between thirty days and three months before the departure date, and it will be between two months and six months for international trips. However, you can follow a different rule during holidays.
While flying during holidays, including Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year, or peak months (June, July, and August), you can buy air tickets early, two months in advance. Also, you can consider traveling on a festive day to save on tickets. Choose whatever you find convenient for you.
You can consider the current deals if you are a frequent traveler. Sometimes, airlines have inspiring deals, and you can use them to save a lot on travel. Keep checking the prices and consider booking whenever there is a drop in airfare.
Compare the Prices
You can compare the prices of airlines to get the best deals. Frequent travelers believe their airlines give the best deals and avoid comparing prices. However, you can get better deals if you look beyond your airline. Some airlines might have the cheapest deals for specific routes or on different dates. Hence, you can check all the available options before booking your tickets.
Find the Cheapest Days
You can save even more by booking air tickets on the cheapest days. You can find better deals on Tuesday, Saturday, and Wednesday in the US. However, weekend travel will be more expensive for international trips. The most expensive days are Sunday and Friday in the US.
The cheapest time for booking is overnight, dawn, or dinner or launch hour flights. Many avoid booking during these hours, and you can get better deals.
Choose the Cheapest Route
As mentioned earlier, the route will impact the airfare cost. You might find non-stop flights convenient, but you might spend less on connecting flights. The connecting options are fifty percent cheaper than non-stop ones for long flights. However, you might not get this benefit all the time. Hence, check the price to avoid any confusion and find better deals.
Set Alerts
You will have to wait with patience to get the lowest air tickets. Also, you can check the prices daily and book your flight when it is considerably low. The best strategy is to wait until the price drops from $1,000 to $400.
In most cases, it will drop if you check in advance. You can use flight trackers to get alerts when the prices are low. It will help you to find the best deals.
Be Flexible About Timing & Destination
You can get the best deals if you have a flexible time and destination. Instead of considering a bucket-list travel destination, you can visit lesser-known locations. You can save on accommodation, taxis, and flights if you travel to less-known cities, including Francisco, Chicago, and New York. However, you will have to spend more on Myrtle Beach.
Tools to Find Flight Deals
You can use many tools to know about flight deals. Here are a few you can go through.
Google Flights
Google flights will enable you to check a travel calendar with the price. You can check the calendar to get suitable deals. However, the downside is that it does not include all the airlines. Hence, you might not make a fair comparison.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner enables users to have a better idea about flight prices. You will know which months are expensive and when you can get affordable deals. You can use this tool and find budget airlines.
Kayak
Kayak can enable you to add the cost of baggage and have an exact estimate of your air travel. Currently, many airlines have changed their prices, and kayak can help you to avoid confusion.
Momondo
You will get detailed information about price while using Momondo. Also, you will know about the cheapest flights, airports, and locations. You can book one based on your convenience and budget.
Keys Points to Remember
The Cheapest Days to Book Flight Tickets
You can depart on Tuesdays or Wednesdays for domestic trips and save up to $75. It is eighteen percent of your ticket price, and you should not miss it if your schedule allows it. However, you can depart on Thursday and save around $60 on international flights. You can save up to six percent by booking your flight for Thursday.
The Cheapest Month to Book Flight Tickets
January is the cheapest month when it comes to booking flight tickets. Also, tickets are less-expensive in August than in December. You can choose these months while looking for the best deals.
The Cheapest Time to Book Flight Tickets
You will find early flights less crowded and have to spend less on these flights. The same is about late-night flights.
Wrapping It Up
You can get the best deals by booking your flight at the right time, date, and month. Also, compare different airlines and use the above tools to get inexpensive options. Avoid booking tickets too early or late, and be flexible about timing.
