How far in advance should I buy international flights?

Typically, the best time to book a flight is one to two months out for domestic trips. And for international flights, the best time to book is six to eight months out. However, there are many factors that can lead to an increase (or decrease) in the price of an airline ticket.



For 2026 travel, the "Goldilocks" window for international flights is generally 3 to 6 months before departure. Data suggests that booking too early (more than 10 months out) often results in paying a "certainty premium," while waiting until the last 30 days leads to exorbitant "urgency pricing." For popular destinations like Europe or Asia, the sweet spot is approximately 120 to 180 days in advance. If you are traveling during peak seasons like summer or Christmas, you should aim for the earlier side of that window—ideally booking by February for June travel. For shoulder seasons (spring and fall), 2 to 4 months is often sufficient. Setting price alerts via tools like Google Flights or Hopper remains the most effective way to catch localized "fare drops" during these windows.

People Also Ask

How far in advance should you book a flight to get the best deal? The best time to book a flight is one to three months before your departure for domestic airline tickets and two to eight months prior for international flights, according to Scott's Cheap Flights. “We call these the 'Goldilocks windows,'” says Keyes.

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Fridays are generally the least expensive days to travel internationally. You could save around 20 per cent on your ticket price.

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Tuesday Around Midnight is the Cheapest Time to Book
In general, flights were slightly cheaper at midnight earlier in the week (Monday through Wednesday). However, this is only applicable to about 1.6% of U.S. markets, meaning that it's not likely you'll find the same savings on your specific route.

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But even compared to pre-pandemic prices, airfares are lower. Average U.S. airfares are more than 6.5% lower in September 2023 than they were in September 2019, meaning prices aren't just lower than they were last year, but even lower than what they were pre-pandemic.

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Flying to Europe in 2024 without spending a fortune is in the cards after a long stretch of sky-high prices. Airlines have added new routes between the U.S. and Europe and announced plans to increase flights on some routes next spring and summer.

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resulting in lower prices and the cheapest day of the week to fly. So, you guessed it, that means the most expensive days to book flights are those days when most travelers are heading out – or coming home. That means flying Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays will typically be more expensive.

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How often do airlines update airfare information online? The airlines update fare information 3 times a day. They do not necessarily change airfare prices all three times, but they certainly can, and often do.

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It mostly comes down to supply and demand. Demand is contributing to higher prices as travel continues to surge post-pandemic, Berg said. Sustained strong demand in 2023 continues to put additional pressure on prices, especially to and within regions where travel has only recently reopened like parts of Asia.

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Bottom line. Surprisingly, there is very little evidence that online travel sites are raising prices the more that you search for a specific trip. In fact, they tend to show lower prices to logged-in users.

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According to Keyes, that critical booking window for the best deals on peak summer international flights usually falls between four and 10 months out – which means if you already have your heart set on sipping Aperol spritzes in Santorini next June, it's not a bad idea to start keeping an eye on flights in the ...

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The Cheapest Airports to Fly Into in Europe
  • Dublin Airport (DUB), Ireland.
  • Rome–Fiumicino International Airport (FCO), Italy.
  • Barcelona El-Prat Airport (BCN), Spain.
  • Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), the Netherlands.
  • Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), France.


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Spring break. For domestic flights in March and April, Google said, prices are typically lowest 23 to 59 days before departure, hitting their lowest price 38 days out. Summer vacation. For domestic flights in July or August, prices are typically lower 14 to 44 days out, hitting rock bottom 21 days before takeoff.

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Expedia's report also notes travelers can look forward to a 3 percent decrease in booking airfare in 2024, compared to the higher prices of 2022.

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At midnight, fewer people travel and there is low last-minute reservation so to fill them, they release multiple offers. With these discounts, you can set aside some amount.

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Ultimately, you want to remain as flexible as possible when considering travel dates. Because flight prices vary based on demand, tickets are more likely to be pricier on more in-demand days, like Fridays and Sundays, according to flight deal website Going.

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It is usually cheaper to book flights through travel agents rather than directly with the airlines when you are looking for a package deal. Travel agents often have access to discounts and special offers that may not be available if you book directly with the airline.

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