Everybody wants to save money when it comes to planning their vacation. When you decide to book a flight can be the difference in saving or spending hundreds of extra dollars. So when should you book a flight? Let’s dive in!
There are a few points that need to be considered when you’re trying to find the optimal time to purchase your plane ticket. One of the most important pieces of this question is if you are looking at domestic or international travel.
When should you book your domestic flight?
It is industry-accepted that the ideal time to purchase your flight within the US is about two months ahead of time. Ideally, I love to start looking at the 3 month mark, and getting an idea of pricing. If there happens to be a sale happening with an airline you like at that time, go ahead and book it. If not, go to Google Flights and start tracking the flight you want. You will also get alerts of any price drops. When you’re a month out is when you need to get serious. Prices are not likely going to go much lower, if anything they may skyrocket as seats fill up. Plus, the stress of not having a flight booked so close to vacation time is just not worth it for many.
When should you book your international flight?
In most cases, you will want to book international flights 4-6 months out to get the best deal. It’s best practice to setup a flight alert with Google Flights or Hopper as soon as you have an idea of where and when you want to go. This way you will know as soon as the price drops, as well as if it is above or below the average estimated cost for the flight.
Other considerations when booking your flight
Airport Access
If you are lucky enough to live in an area where you have access to more than one departure airport, you could likely hold off a little longer for a good deal. However, if you only have one airport option, you will want to be more cautious in waiting too long for a good deal. This also holds true if your destination only has one airport that you must fly into. This limits your flexibility and should make you consider booking further in advance than the typical flight booking time frame.
Date Flexibility
You will also want to consider booking a bit sooner if you have exact vacation days you need to work around. Whether you have already cleared the family’s schedule for the exact vacation days, or you are aligning them with the kids’ school breaks, keep in mind that having strict flight days and/or times will limit the available flights to choose from. And if you have limited flights to choose from, you will have limited potential savings.
Peak Season
And lastly, you will want to take into account the time of year you are traveling. If you are traveling during a country’s peak season for tourists, there is less of a chance to get a deal by booking too far in advance. Airlines know that they will likely be able to fill the planes without many price cuts. However, there are usually more flights on the path during the high season, and if a plane is not filling up as expected the airlines are known for dropping the price more heavily the closer they are to departure.
With all of these considerations, my best piece of advice for when to book your flight is whenever you feel good about it. It’s always a gamble whether you wait longer for a price drop, or you jump in on an early deal. You just have to lock it in when you feel good and try your best to not look at flight prices after you’ve committed — just start looking forward to your trip instead!
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