The Best Time To Book A Plane Ticket, According To New Study

[BabyGund]

Fifty-four days before takeoff is, on average, when domestic airline tickets are at their absolute lowest price.

Foreign countries are incredibly popular destinations with hard-to-reach airports, so the researchers suggest booking much earlier than the 54 days recommended for domestic flights.

Here are the “magic numbers” for some common international destinations:

Europe: 151 days before your flight
Asia: 129 days before your flight
The Caribbean: 101 days before your flight
Mexico: 89 days before your flight
Latin America: 80 days before your flight

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/...n_4875266.html

[differentcountries]

3-4 months seems just about right. I hope to take advantage of that, since I now know forhand when I will be working.

Also, I am starting to get an overview both over who sells tickets to where I want to go, and also where I can get credit. I used to think there was only one company worth ordering from, but they don't always fly where I want or for the best prices. In the beginning I always waited until I could afford to pay the ticket, now I think I am better of using credit and paying later if I can get a good deal.

[Suuz]

I cant control myself when it comes to buying flighttickets! I wanna buy them as soon as possible, just so i have a countdown! Im way too impatient to wait for the 'right' time.. Happend a lot that my tickets were cheaper a few weeks after i bought them, but i just cant resist it haha!

[Hollandia]

I don't find this to be true at all. I am a bit OCD when it comes to this stuff. I start to plan my trips anyway from 6 months on and check daily until I book, my prices never really change all that much. This might save a few bucks, but 30 bucks is not squat when you have to pay 1000 in my opinion. I find better savings when I can book at very last second, but that seldom is possible. The last 10 flights I have taken have not mattered when I booked them. I guess it must where I have to travel possibly, but this study is bunk to me. Furthermore most website have limits at how far in advance they will let you book and most airlines charge you to book by phone now, so that does not help. Sorry, all the articles do is frustrate me when I get into type A research mode again and find myself disappointed yet again after months of research.

[80anthea]

I've found the same as Hollandia, when I flew from the UK to the USA in January last minute, it was a bargain. It's obviously much more difficult to plan for though. It's definitely worth trying to be a bit flexible in terms of where you can fly into and the date, also look at a combination of flights and rail. I've worked out it's cheaper to fly into Philadelphia from the UK and get the Amtrak down to Virginia. It obviously takes longer but it's a big saving.

[differentcountries]

I find as a rule the opposite, strangely enough...the longer I travel ,the more pricy the travel. Perhaps because the most pricy companies does not really travel this route, and so make lots of stops along the way. The cheepest is a discount company, but they only travel during the tourist season, which has not really started yet (so at the moment I travel 9-15 hours and three flights instead of 4-5 hours direct flight). I considered getting travels cheeper by combining flights to Isanbul or Ankara with bus, bus SO asked me not to. Usually I don't have much time to spare (not much money either...but having no holiday saved up, for the moment I have more money than time), and SO really does not want me to use hours of "our " time on a bus. It would exhaust me a lot for such a short trip (I might do it if I travel more days though). I can be flexible about days, but usually only 1 day each way. Last minute travels are more expensive when I travel - I always travel economy, but for last minute travel usually only businiss seats are left.

[Ahava]

One interesting fact is that it is cheaper for my guy to travel from UK to see me than for me to go see him. (Same airline, same trip).

[Tooki]

I don't find this to be true at all. I am a bit OCD when it comes to this stuff. I start to plan my trips anyway from 6 months on and check daily until I book, my prices never really change all that much. This might save a few bucks, but 30 bucks is not squat when you have to pay 1000 in my opinion. I find better savings when I can book at very last second, but that seldom is possible. The last 10 flights I have taken have not mattered when I booked them. I guess it must where I have to travel possibly, but this study is bunk to me. Furthermore most website have limits at how far in advance they will let you book and most airlines charge you to book by phone now, so that does not help. Sorry, all the articles do is frustrate me when I get into type A research mode again and find myself disappointed yet again after months of research.

I agree too. I looked into flights early last year and I was paying minimum $1200 or so one way with long connections. I booked my actual flight for mid July in May (around 60 days before the flight) and I paid ~$1000 one way with good connections, because a sale with that airline just came up.

[Hollandia]

One interesting fact is that it is cheaper for my guy to travel from UK to see me than for me to go see him. (Same airline, same trip).

This is true for us too, even after the conversion factor. Now, THAT is messed up, but nothing can be done about it.My BF can get here for $800 versus the same trip and airline for me to get there for $1100.

[Hollandia]

I've found the same as Hollandia, when I flew from the UK to the USA in January last minute, it was a bargain. It's obviously much more difficult to plan for though. It's definitely worth trying to be a bit flexible in terms of where you can fly into and the date, also look at a combination of flights and rail. I've worked out it's cheaper to fly into Philadelphia from the UK and get the Amtrak down to Virginia. It obviously takes longer but it's a big saving.

Take a peek at JFK sometimes, they are even cheaper than PHL, PHL is my home airport. We have been thinking about landing in JFK next time and taking a train to Delaware. HUB to HUB flights can save you money sometimes, like LHR to JFK, it used to be opposite but I am finding this true more and more often now.

[CanadianGirl]

One interesting fact is that it is cheaper for my guy to travel from UK to see me than for me to go see him. (Same airline, same trip).

Same with us, and I'm pretty sure that's because we have steeper taxes/surcharges on top of the currency conversion. I do know if I try to book too early (>4 months) for certain times of the year, the price is super high, but if I wait past 2 months, the prices only rise again. One thing is certain, booking for the Christmas holidays is always expensive.

I save a little money flying in and out on off-peak days of the week, but I save more by finding the cheapest airports. I'm lucky with flying to my SO, and have picked between airports in LA, San Diego, Orange County and Palm Springs. Usually at least one of those is cheaper by a lot (probably some mix of how many flights and seats are available).

[BabyGund]

Same with us, and I'm pretty sure that's because we have steeper taxes/surcharges on top of the currency conversion.

Which is why I am flying into Buffalo instead of Pearson this trip - that saved $120 off the ticket, despite there being more flights between Tampa and Pearson because of the snowbirds. Even the rental car fee was $22 less at Buffalo Niagara than at Pearson, taking the currency conversion into account.

For domestic flights, I generally agree with these rules, unless a fare sale comes up. The biggest reason I booked my flight for April back in January was the fare sale. January is a great month for fare sales, because the airlines figure you are still paying off Christmas and don't have extra money to take advantage -- and I've seen that on domestic and international fares. FTR, Friday is 54 days out and I'll recheck fares and see if I got a better deal in January than now. Stay tuned.

[Riyko]

Which is why I am flying into Buffalo instead of Pearson this trip - that saved $120 off the ticket, despite there being more flights between Tampa and Pearson because of the snowbirds. Even the rental car fee was $22 less at Buffalo Niagara than at Pearson, taking the currency conversion into account.

For domestic flights, I generally agree with these rules, unless a fare sale comes up. The biggest reason I booked my flight for April back in January was the fare sale. January is a great month for fare sales, because the airlines figure you are still paying off Christmas and don't have extra money to take advantage -- and I've seen that on domestic and international fares. FTR, Friday is 54 days out and I'll recheck fares and see if I got a better deal in January than now. Stay tuned.

If you've never rented a car at the niagara buffalo airport and driven it into Canada, something to remember is you have to let the rental car company know that you'll be taking the car into Canada, so they can give you a form to hand to customs so you aren't charged for bring the car into Canada .

Also with the study I don't believe it either, I'm leaving to go to Toronto next tuesday and I just purchased my ticket two days ago and i'm only paying $250 roundtrip, when it'd normally be between $350 - $600 for the same trip (this is all using my dad's survivors benefits, the prices are what I normally pay when using them if that makes sense)

[BabyGund]

Several airlines including United, American, US Airways, and JetBlue have launched fare sales this morning

ETA: FTR, I rechecked flights this morning...if just going by the lowest price, the ticket is only up $6 since I bought it a month ago. But when looking at my specific itinerary, it's up $43 Go figure.

[BabyGund]

If you've never rented a car at the niagara buffalo airport and driven it into Canada, something to remember is you have to let the rental car company know that you'll be taking the car into Canada, so they can give you a form to hand to customs so you aren't charged for bring the car into Canada )

Yes, I let them know as part of the reservation. All good!