The Best Time to Book a Flight

The pandemic is lingering, but the country and the world are starting to open up, making it an exciting time for those who have been itching to travel. As summer break is approaching, you may be thinking about the places you want to go to and the people you want to visit. Or, maybe you are beginning to book flights for your study abroad experience next semester. You hop on your laptop, search for your flights and suddenly remember how pricey flying can get. Fortunately, there are ways to ease the cost of flying; believe it or not, booking flights is somewhat of a science.

When Should I Book My Flight?

If you want to use timing to your advantage to score a cheaper flight, the most important factor is how far in advance you book one. A plane ticket goes on sale a year before the flight, often becoming more expensive the closer the departure gets. That is why the best way to save money on a flight is to book it as early as possible. The worst thing you could do is wait until the last minute, because tickets will be the most expensive in the weeks leading up to the flight. It is recommended that you book a domestic flight one to three months in advance, and an international flight two to eight months in advance.

What Day Should I Fly On?

You may have heard that there are better days of the week to discover a cheaper flight, but that has unfortunately not been proven. You can find a good deal any day of the week; however, the day of the week you choose to fly on could make a difference. Flying on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays tend to be the cheapest as those are usually the slowest travel days. You could easily save hundreds of dollars flying on these quiet days, and the airport will be a lot calmer. You can use this trick for domestic and international flights.

What Time Should I Fly?

If you want to save even more money on your flight, you may have to fly at an inconvenient hour. Early morning and late-night flights tend to be less expensive and less busy because most travelers would rather not lose sleep if they have the choice. The lower cost may be worth waking up extra early or traveling late into the night. If you are booking an international flight, a red-eye flight will likely be your cheapest option. You may not sleep a lot, but you will save a lot. If you pair an off-peak time with an off-peak day to fly, your results could be even better.

It is important to note, though, that the cost of flights can be unpredictable. You can use these trends to make your best guess when the cheapest flight is, but it won’t always work and the best deal may appear when you least expect it. Nevertheless, we hope that these tricks make a trip possible and help you save on your future travels.

Make sure to tag us @theedgemag on your next trip!