The Best Time To Book Your Airline Ticket: A blog around timing and the best time to book airfare.
You’re planning a trip, trying to find the perfect hotel room, or a flight. Traveling is stressful enough without worrying about the cost of your airline ticket, but you want to be sure you are getting the best deal. There are many websites that claim to have the magic formula for purchasing the cheapest tickets. Some may just be salesmanship; others may have some truth to them. We’ve looked at some of the most popular sites and tried to figure out what is hype, what is not, and what advice we can offer.
First, there is no magic formula for finding cheap flights. It’s difficult even for professionals, who spend their lives working on it. You will frequently see headlines like “This Is The Best Day To Buy Airline Tickets.” If only it were that simple! The reality is much more nuanced than that.
The Best Time To Book Your Airline Ticket
The best time to buy an airline ticket is a hotly debated topic. What most people don’t know is that the type of fare you’re booking matters too. There are three main kinds of fares that airlines offer: Saver Fares, Everyday Fares and Anytime Fares. Understanding what each of these mean and how they work together can help you save money on your next trip.
Types of Airline Fares
Saver Fares
Saver Fares are the cheapest tickets offered by an airline (they can also be called Discounted or Promotional fares). Restrictions on these fares include:
You can only book these fares online.
You can’t change the ticket for any reason (including changing the flight time or date). They are non-refundable. You must fly on the exact dates and times specified on your ticket. If you miss your flight, you must purchase a new ticket at full price. This fare type is ideal if your travel plans are firm and you’re able to book in advance.
Everyday Fares
Everyday fares are just what they sound like – tickets available every day that offer more flexibility than Saver Fares but cost a little bit more. These
It’s a question that a lot of people ask. When is the best time to book your airline ticket? I am going to answer this question based on data analysis, and my experience in airfare analysis.
The Best Time To Book Your Airline Ticket is between 3 to 7 weeks out (21 days before departure). The average price was $40 less than the peak price, and $10 less than the median price.
Average Savings: $40 per ticket
Percentage of Time: 55%
Percentage of Savings: 40%
If you cannot find a low fare 3 weeks out, try at least 21 days out (3 weeks). This applies to international travel too. More detailed information, including past price trends can be found on our airline price prediction page.
Booking flights can be a stressful process, especially when you are looking to save money on your ticket. But how far out should you book your flight to get the best deal?
I researched this question and found various answers from travel experts. I decided to look at data from the Department of Transportation and find out for myself.
While there is not one definitive answer to this question, my findings were clear: unless you’re traveling at peak times, booking early is overrated.
The best time to buy a domestic airline ticket is usually 21 days in advance, or at least that’s what you’ve heard from the likes of Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity. But that rule of thumb has rarely been tested. Now, a new analysis finds the 21-day rule to be a myth.
The best day of the week to fly is, on average, Tuesday. The best time to buy is 54 days before departure for domestic trips, but for international trips it’s 149 days ahead. And buying early can help save money; a typical round-trip domestic ticket bought in the final two weeks prior to departure costs $300 more than one purchased six months in advance.
These findings come from an analysis of airfares by CheapAir.com, a California-based online travel agency specializing in discount fares. In its report on “When to Buy Flights,” CheapAir says it examined over 1 billion fares from online searches of over 8 million different itineraries, tracking when prices dropped and by how much.
Airlines are going to try and sell you a ticket at whatever price they can.