Expert Tips on the Best Times and Days to Book Flights
The best time to book flights varies depending on your destination, time of year, and demand for tickets.
According to our travel experts, people looking for affordable flights should:
- Set up price alerts on the website that you use to book flights
- Opt for midweek flights
- Book months in advance of departure
- Schedule their trip in the destination’s low-season
- Fly at unsociable hours
- Be flexible on times and dates
- Consider a layover
- Travel light
- Book both flights and accommodation from one website
- Check for special promotions like Black Friday
When is the best time to book a flight if you’re keen to keep your travel costs low?
With flight prices changing all the time, pinning down the best day and time to book flights isn’t always straightforward.
There’s no single day of the week that will always be lower cost than the others, because demand for tickets rises and falls throughout the year.
However, there are several vital tips and tricks frequent fliers use to work out the best time to book flights, from spotting patterns in price changes to setting up alerts.
In this guide, the travel experts at Booking.com share the insider travel hacks they use to bag affordable flights.
How does destination affect the best time to book?
The cost of your plane ticket depends on how much demand there is for your chosen flight. Put simply, the more people who have already bought tickets for your flight, the higher your airfare is likely to be. This means your destination can hugely affect the best time to book flights.
Most travel destinations have a busy ‘high-season’ and less-popular ‘low-season’, depending on factors like their climate or major attractions. Traveling in low-season? It’ll be much easier to find affordable flights.
For example, if you’re flying to a beachy destination with a changeable climate, such as a coastal town in Spain, Italy, or Greece, you’ll find that airfares normally rocket during the summer months when scorching beach-friendly weather is (almost) guaranteed.
On the other hand, if you’re traveling to Orlando, a destination most famous for its theme parks, you can expect the cost of plane tickets to increase massively around school summer holidays.
And how about those historic European cities like Berlin, Prague, and Vienna, known for hosting picture-perfect festive markets? It can actually be cheaper to fly there in the summer than December.
Research your destination before scheduling your vacation to find out when high season and low season are and whether there are any big events coming up that could affect flight prices.
Expert advice on the best times to book flights
So, when is the best time to book a flight?
We asked a number of travel experts at Booking.com to share their advice on how far in advance to book flights, and they all seem to agree — the sooner the better.
International flights
When it comes to the best time to book international flights, the consensus is you should get in there early.
Of course, it can be tempting to wait it out on the off-chance of a last-minute deal. But with international long-haul flights, this is an especially risky strategy. International flights are typically already more expensive than domestic journeys, and you’ve likely already invested significantly in your trip – from scheduling time off at work to booking accommodation.
While a cheaper domestic flight might creep up in price by $100 or so ahead of departure if you’re unlucky, the price of an international airfare could rise – leaving you forced to cancel or reschedule your trip.
“Waiting until the last minute to book your flight is not a good idea," said Megan Biebuyck, Regional Marketing Manager.
“Prices can rise considerably as the departure date approaches, and you could find yourself spending significantly more than if you booked earlier.
“While certain airlines may provide last-minute offers, it's dangerous to wait and hope for a bargain."
What’s more, booking international flights further in advance means you’ll have plenty of choice, which is key to driving down the cost of your airfare.
“Booking early is the key to saving on airfares," continued Megan. “This allows you plenty of time to research the best offers and discounts, as well as a diverse range of flights to pick from."
Domestic flights
Similar advice applies to the best time to book domestic flights. Travelers are typically more relaxed when it comes to booking shorter domestic flights – which means that prices tend to peak closer to the departure date.
But while you can afford to buy domestic flights a little closer to your departure date than you would for an international trip, it’s still best to book earlier where possible.
According to Megan, “A few months in advance is nearly always the best time to book flights. Often this is when the best deal and discounts can be found".
Tips on the best times to book for seasonal vacations
If you’re looking for a serious bargain on your flights, it’s generally best to avoid peak times when increasing demand pushes up prices. This means it can be much harder to find affordable flights for seasonal vacations such as summer and Christmas trips than it would be if you were traveling off-peak.
“I would always suggest avoiding booking flights during peak times like school breaks and popular holidays, or a big event in the area you’re visiting if you want to get the lowest prices," Agathe Maes, Senior Revenue Analyst, said.
But what if you’ve got kids in school or are visiting family for the holidays, and booking in peak season is unavoidable?
According to our experts, peak-season travelers can still slash their travel bill. It’s all in the timing.
“These prices will rocket quickly, so get in before the crowds do," said Brad Middleton, Manager Flights Revenue Optimisation.
In addition to booking early, people looking to travel at peak times should plan ahead to take advantage of big sales and deals.
“Consider booking when there are deals on i.e. Black Friday and January sales," suggested Lois Robertson, Senior Product Marketing Manager.
In addition, airlines often hold flash sales where you can grab some serious bargains. But these events often only last for a couple of hours or a day, which means you need to be in the know to take advantage of them. Download airline apps and enable push notifications to ensure you’re always the first to find out about flash sales.
Bonus tips on when to book flights
1. Consider the time of your flight
Flights at unsociable hours are often more affordable. Essentially, the more you can inconvenience yourself on a journey, the less you’ll generally pay. If finding affordable flights is top of your priority list, it’s well worth getting up early to lower the cost of your fare.
However, Nikolett Daru, Senior Product Marketing Manager, urged travelers to “think carefully" about the time of their flight.
“It might be cheaper to go for a 6 am flight," they said. “But work out whether you'd be able to get to the airport in time. Public transport might not be running and the chances of you getting a lift are slim."
After all, you don’t want to save $50 on flights only to be forced to spend more on a taxi to the airport.
2. Opt for midweek flights
Is there one single best day to book flights? It’s a long-held belief among frequent fliers that Tuesday is the best day of the week to book flights if you’re aiming to keep the price low.
But is Tuesday the best day to book a flight?
With demand fluctuating, there’s no single day of the week that will always be more affordable to fly on. However, Nikolett did note that: “Booking midweek flights can be cheaper than booking over the weekend".
This is because, while affordable flights can’t be guaranteed on any day of the week, you’ll generally find the lowest-priced tickets on the least popular days to travel. As mid-week flights are generally less popular than weekend flights, these journeys can often be more affordable.
3. Be flexible
When booking flights, it’s worth playing around with the dates, times, and locations to find the most affordable options.
Nikolett advised: “Building flexibility into your travel itinerary is key to unlocking the best deals on cheap flights.
“Use filters to widen your search across multiple airports, several dates, all times of day, all airlines, and direct and indirect flights will help you find the best deals".
4. Set up price alerts
If you’re on the hunt for affordable flights, price alerts are your best friend. These notifications will let you know when prices change, enabling you to buy the moment they drop.
5. Consider a layover
Layovers can drive down the overall cost of your trip, while also giving you a little bonus holiday.
“When booking long-haul flights, it will nearly always prove cheaper to book a flight with a connection somewhere rather than a direct one," said Chris Humphries
Senior Manager Revenue & Growth. “While this will increase your travel time, you'll most likely save money."
He also suggests: “Try searching for one way flights individually or with a stop over to see if it would be cheaper to spend a day or two somewhere else en route. Just think of it like another mini holiday."
Remember to consider how much time and money you might spend during your layover, and balance this with the cost of a more expensive, direct flight.
6. Travel light
Traveling with checked bags can massively increase the cost of any airfare. Nowadays, most airlines include one cabin bag in their airfare. In other words, if you can squeeze everything you need for your trip into your cabin bag, you can often travel without paying for any luggage at all.
However, it’s essential to check your airline’s luggage policy before traveling, as every carrier has different rules and regulations for the size, number and weight of the bags you can bring on board.
If your cabin baggage exceeds your airline’s allowance, you’ll end up being stung with a steep fee at the airport, which is often more expensive than if you’d simply just booked a checked bag in the first place.
If you need more luggage space than simply a cabin bag, it’s also worth checking your airline’s policy. Some carriers offer deals where you can pay a little more to bring an extra cabin bag on board, allowing you to avoid the more expensive checked luggage fees.
7. Book flights and accommodation on the same site
Online travel platforms often offer discounts and rewards when you book both your flights and accommodation through them. It’s worth shopping around to find the best deals.
FAQs about the best times to book flights
Is there a best day of the week for booking flights?
While no single day of the week guarantees lower prices, mid-week flights are typically less popular than those at weekends, which can drive down airfares.
“Choosing to fly during the week is generally cheaper than at weekends. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are good for bargains," said Katherine Cook, Director of Commercial Operations, Flights.
If you’re looking to book affordable flights, it’s always worth playing around with the dates to find the lowest-cost dates and times.
Why do flight prices change?
Airlines have complex algorithms that set prices depending on a number of factors, including distance and seasonality. However, these prices are dynamic — meaning they fluctuate based on demand.
So if there’s a surge in demand for tickets for one flight, the cost of that flight will increase. Conversely, if a flight looks empty in the run-up to departure, the airline may lower the cost of airfares in a bid to fill the plane.
Of course, flight prices also change when airlines launch sales and discounts.
Learn how to access an airport lounge before your flight, where to find airport lounges, how much lounge access can cost, and more
What is the best seat on a plane when flying economy? Find out where to sit to boost your comfort, reduce turbulence, and get the best views.
Check out our go-to guide to US baggage weight limits and carry-on sizes for standard airlines like Delta, United, American, and Spirit so you can be prepared for your flight.
Get all the info you need on how to check in efficiently at the airport for your flight. We cover what you need, how early you can check in, how to check luggage, and TSA restrictions.
To help make travel planning easy, check out our complete guide to US airports, which showcases the biggest, busiest, and best airports and ones to avoid.
Flight prices change every day, so it pays to know how far in advance to book flights if you want to save money. Read on for top tips from our experts.