Traveling makes good memories, but booking a flight at the lowest price can be a big undertaking. When should you book a flight? There’s no simple answer to that question, but it’s almost always true that the sooner you book, the better. Read this guide and learn what you need to do, which can save you energy and time during preparation.
Is there a day that’s cheaper than others to book a flight?
There isn’t one day that guarantees you the best price, but you can monitor prices in advance and choose the cost-effective one. Bookings may open at midnight but it’s indeterminate. Don’t expect award space to consistently appear at the same time. Therefore, the reality is prices change so often and depend on the route, the travel dates, etc.
You usually won’t see the lowest fares right when some U.S.-based airlines open their booking windows for revenue flights a particular number of days before departure. However, you can get the lowest fare if the airlines accept reservations. Just book your trip shortly after the booking window opens.
There is often a lag between when an airline loads its schedule and when flights become bookable. Therefore, you’d better subscribe to the airline’s email newsletter By doing so, you can receive an announcement when the flight schedule is extended.
The best time to book award travel is either when the schedule opens or at the last minute. You can book the flight when the booking windows open between 330 and 362 days before your trip. Airlines typically release a first batch of award space during that period. And then a second batch is right before the flight.
Note: you won’t be able to book flights operated by U.S. airlines like Delta, United, and American until both the airline you are booking with (using its miles or points) and the airline you are flying on open award bookings for your travel date.
The Best Time to Book Domestic Flights
For travel within the U.S., the best time to book your flights is typically about one to two months before your trip. According to CheapAir, on average, 47 days was the best time. Keep in mind that this is an average — it doesn’t mean you should log on exactly 47 days before travel.
As always, it’s recommended to start your search as far in advance as you can. Flight prices, especially the domestic ones, have been on the rise lately. If you wait too long to book, you’re less likely to find a deal.
The Best Time to Book International Flights
It takes a lot more preparation to plan an international trip. Remember to give yourself even more time. The booking window to find a good deal on an international flight is often much, much earlier than if you’re just traveling in the U.S. You’d better start looking at flight prices at least six months out. And then, try to book at least two months before your trip. In this way, you are likely to buy air tickets at a low cost. According to Google Flights data, the cheapest international airfare is found about four months out, on average. Take Japan for an example. If you want to visit Paris in June, you should start looking for the lowest fares in December and have your tickets booked by April.
Below you’ll find the prime booking windows open for the destinations:
Canada: 300 days to 3.5 months before departure
Mexico: 4.5 months to 1 month before departure
The Caribbean: 5 months to 1.5 months before departure
Central America: 5 months to 2 months before departure
South America: 4.5 months to 1.5 months before departure
Europe: 6.5 months to 1 month before departure
Africa: 10 months to 2 months before departure
Oceania/South Pacific: 10 to 9.5 months before departure
Asia: 10 months before departure
Middle East: 10 months to just under 2 months before departure
The Best Time to Book International Flights for Popular Destinations
In most cases, you can book just several weeks in advance, but if you plan to travel to a famous scenic spot, you need to reserve months ahead. When there is less supply, there will be more demand. Understandably, when there is more demand, there will be higher prices. Therefore, you need to reserve the flight as early as possible to get a low-cost one. Want to go to the Louvre on your summer vacation? Book early. Want to go home for the holiday? Book early.
Note: If you’ve got an event you’re traveling for like a wedding or a big music festival, set a Google Flights price alert and book when you see fares drop to a price that works for you.
How To Get Cheap Flights
Book Changeable Flights and Rebook. You can start by booking a flight as soon as you know when you might travel. Then, track the price of that flight. If you catch a fare drop, change your flight with the airline to the lower priced ticket, which assumes that you would be likely to have use for the voucher. Therefore, if you don’t have future travel plans, then this is not a viable path for you.
The Capital One Travel portal is a powerful tool. It is really helpful for Qualifying Capital One credit cardholders to find cheap flights. When you search for flights, Capital One Travel will provide a recommendation on whether you should book now or wait.
Tips for Booking Flights: Dos and Don’ts
Dos
- Set a calendar reminder. You can start checking availability before a day or two of the reservation. It is really helpful to book a low-cost flight. When the booking window opens, you won’t be in a muddle, because you know the booking process well.
- Compare flight fares from different airlines. To ensure you get the most affordable flight deal, you’d better look for fares from different airlines and find the most cost-effective one. Saving money on your flight means being able to spend money on more fun parts of your trip like restaurants and shopping. Therefore, you not only get the cheapest deal but have a happy trip.
Don’ts
- Don’t book a flight in the same month as your trip. Because of the time emergency, you are not able to compare flight fares from different airlines, which causes a loss of money. Both international and domestic trips are going to cost you more.
Can you book a flight more than a year in advance?
The answer is No. With Delta’s current policy for booking tickets in advance, you can start planning your trip up to 331 days (that’s 47 weeks or 10-11 months) before your flight. Some airlines such as Southwest, Frontier, and Spirit open their flights for reservations about six months in advance on average, at varying times during the year
Conclusion
While there is no magical time or day to book airfare for the best prices, your best bet is to book it early. By doing so, you have enough time to find the cheapest tickets and make preparations. Hopefully, with the instructions provided above, you can book the cheapest flights without much effort.
Dolores Xiao