How far out should you buy international plane tickets?
Best Time To Book International FlightsAccording to a study conducted by Expedia, data shows that you want to book at least six months in advance for international travel. The study found you'll save an average of 10% by booking six months in advance instead of two months or less.
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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. “We call these the 'Goldilocks windows,'” Scott Keyes, founder of Going.com, tells AFAR. “Not too early, not too late—just right in the middle.”
Time your booking right“For international flights — [it's] four to 10 months.” If you're traveling during an off-peak season, you're going to want to look at airfares one to three months in advance for domestic flights, and two to eight months ahead of the flight for international trips.
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 international trips, you generally need to book further ahead of time: Start gauging these flight prices six to seven months in advance while planning on booking three to five months in advance. When you're traveling internationally, planning ahead is key to getting the cheapest airfare, Berg said.
Domestic airline prices are on the decline in 2023, finally retreating after spiking just a year ago. International fares are still high. After soaring in 2022, prices for domestic airline tickets are on the descent.
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.
In our experience, while fantastic deals can pop up at any time, the best time to book a flight (what we call the Goldilocks Window) is 1–3 months ahead for domestic travel and 2–8 months ahead for international travel—unless your trip is around a popular holiday or peak travel time, or you have very specific travel ...
Winter: Travel around the Christmas and New Year holidays will usually cost more no matter what; otherwise, winter can be an affordable time to travel. For non-holiday travel, aim to buy plane tickets 94 days in advance.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly domestically. The cheapest days to depart if you're flying within the U.S. are midweek — generally Tuesday or Wednesday. For economy tickets, Tuesdays are about 24% lower than peak prices on Sundays, which translates to savings of about $85 per ticket.
Buy your tickets at the right time (to the extent possible). Airfares flex like crazy, but in general it's wise to start looking for international flights at least four to six months before your trip, especially for travel in spring, summer, or fall.
Generally, flights are available to book around 11 months in advance, although it will differ from airline to airline. Check out our page on how far in advance you can book flights for more information.
Early to midweek tends to be cheaper on off-peak days, and as a rule of thumb, the busier the weekend, the more the flight is going to cost. “I've found that it is generally cheaper to fly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays,” adds Dengler.
If you are committed to getting the cheapest airfare possible, what time of the day to buy your ticket also matters. Online research has shown that the answer to when are flights cheapest to book on any given day is around 05:00. So, set the alarm, and get up early for that flight deal.
Wednesdays and Thursdays are the cheapest day to fly internationally. Meanwhile, international flyers would be wise to leave on Wednesdays, which are the cheapest day to depart for an international trip. That said, there isn't a huge difference in price across the different days of the week.