If budget is the most important thing when it comes to traveling, then planning your travels ahead of time and at the best times are very important. Flight ticket prices rise and drop according to a) the season b) bookings and cancellations 3) how full flights are and 4) whether or not the travel route is frequented by leisure or business travelers (as business travelers tend to book last minute).
I’ve been following these booking guidelines for the past decade or so and they have worked quite well for me to secure flights at the best prices. These guidelines will slightly differ from year to year, but the concept is the same. But remember, there is no foolproof way to always get the absolute best prices. Sometimes, airlines or third parties can drop an amazing deal out of nowhere and that could be the best time to book your flights. But generally, according to my research on companies that did studies on 2020 and 2021’s best time to book flights for the best prices, here is what I found:
The Best Days To Book Your Flight
- The old news: Tuesdays followed by Wednesdays usually have the lowest ticket rates. Deals and low prices are usually introduced at the beginning of the week on Sunday or Monday evenings. Thursdays through Sundays try to make up for the lower prices in the beginning of the week.
- But, research is showing that prices vary week by week rather than day by day. I found this to be true as well as I’m constantly watching flights and planning new trips. I suggest doing some research beforehand and get an idea of the price ranges of your flight. It can help you gauge what you should spend to get the best prices. So if you find a cheap flight, get it!
The Best Times To Book Your Flight
- An average rule of thumb to book international flights is about 6 months in advance. You are able to book international flights about a year before your flight. The sooner you book it, the cheaper your flight usually is. Sometimes I book my flights 8 months in advance and the prices are definitely better than booking at a closer date. If you know early on where you intend to fly to, start keeping an eye out on flight prices as soon as you can to start seeing price trends.
- For domestic flights: book your tickets 1-4 months before your flights. It’s also around $100 less than taking off on the same day you book. Of course, this will depend on the flight you take and your destination.
- Fall is one of the best times to book your flight as everyone is starting to wind down and getting ready for back to school season. March would be most expensive because of Spring Break (or March Break in Canada) as well as Christmastime, New Years, and major holidays.
- For Canadians booking a domestic flight, January, February and September months usually have the best prices.
- For Canadians booking an international flight, the first 3 months of the year usually have the best prices.
The Best Time To Fly For The Best Prices
- Cheapest days to fly is during the week, such as on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday. There is a higher demand when weekends approach on Fridays and Sundays when everyone has to go back to work on Mondays.
- Flying at less than optimal times such as early in the morning or overnight tend to have better prices as many people don’t want to fly at those times.
8 Tips To Secure Flights For The Best Prices
Keep in mind, the above best times and days are a guideline and are subject to change at any moment or circumstance. It all depends on what the airlines decide to do, but it gives you a good timeline on when to book your flights for the best prices possible.
- Buy holiday tickets as soon as possible as prices go higher as the date gets closer. Holidays tend to have much higher demand and airlines easily price flights much higher than usual. One year, I booked a round trip flight to Hong Kong around March to fly during Christmastime and it costed just under $1300 CAD. I had some friends who were going about the same time but booked around August/September and paid $1800 CAD round trip.
- Look into nearby airports. Not only can the prices sometimes be cheaper, they can also offer better flying times. When flying into Miami, Florida, I sometimes fly to Fort Lauderdale instead. I usually get better travel dates and times as well as savings of about $50 or more.
- Flight prices can change a few times a day. Sign up for price alerts on the flight booking websites you use. I’ve found that because now they know you are looking for a specific route, they want you to buy so they will definitely let you know when the price drops. The Hopper app is great and I’ve used it a lot to give me quick updates on when the flight I’m watching will drop in price. It also tells me how low the price can actually go.
- Shop for flights in incognito mode or clear your cookies on third party travel sites so the booking websites don’t keep track of what flight routes you are browsing. A lot of articles I’ve read says this is not the case, but I check for different flights almost on a daily basis. Call it a weird hobby, I like to dream of travel and see my options. And I found that the flights I’ve been watching do increase in price compared to when I shop in incognito mode. This has been true for people I know as well. However, if you shop on the airline’s own websites, the price seems to stay consistent. Airlines also say that inventory updates or website glitches causes the constant price updates.
- Check if booking separate one way flights or a round trip will be cheaper. You may be able to mix and match airlines that offer different prices that can add to your savings.
- See if it is cheaper to pay in a local currency rather than through your home country’s currency. I’ve heard that people saved quite a bit of money by doing this.
- If you are able to, select flexible dates when you’re searching for a flight to get a better price.
- Double check if booking directly through the airline or through an aggregate booking website to see if prices are better. Sometimes you are able to price match as well. I like using CheapAir, Skyscanner, FlightHub, CheapOAir, and Just Fly for flight comparisons among different airlines.
If you want to save a little more money, here are complete details on The Best Ways To Save Money On Flights.
To help you better plan your trip, read The Ultimate Guide To Planning Your Trip Abroad and download my free Pre-Trip Planner and Checklist!