Maybe you want to book a flight during the week of Thanksgiving or during the winter holidays. Or maybe you want to plan your dream trip to Europe in advance. Whatever your travel plans, as you look through flight schedules you may be wondering: When are the best days to book a cheap flight? Is it cheaper to book well in advance or wait until you’re closer to your travel dates?
Just in time, Google Flights recently released its key insights on travel data and trends for 2024, including answers to the questions above. Flights and the prices associated with them are constantly changing. Google has compiled four years of airfare data and trends to provide U.S. travelers with a comprehensive guide on how to get the cheapest flights possible and when the best time of year to fly is.
Read more: Use your iPhone to easily monitor flight delays and cancellations
What day of the week is it cheapest to fly?
If you’re planning to book a flight, especially during the busy holiday season, you’re probably trying to find the cheapest option. According to Google Flights, the cheapest flights are available on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with Tuesday is the cheapest dayaccording to historical flight data. If travelers fly early or mid-week, they can save 13 to 20 percent on airfare compared to flying on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, with Sunday being the most expensive day to fly.
Do stopovers really save money?
It may come as no surprise that flights with layovers are cheaper than nonstop flights, but you may not realize how big these savings can be. Google Flight data shows that Travelers can save 25% when booking a flight with a stopover instead of a nonstop flight.
Is there a best day of the week to book flights?
While there are certainly cheaper days to fly, there aren’t really any cheaper days to book. “There’s not much point in buying your tickets on a specific day of the week,” says the Google report.
Google Flights states that Tuesday is usually the cheapest day of the week for bookingsaccording to the data, but bookings on Tuesday are only 1.3% cheaper than on the most expensive day, Sunday.
Is it cheaper to book flights well in advance?
To wait or not to wait? According to Google, it’s better to book your trip well in advance, especially if you have to fly on a specific day or time. However, there are some patterns you can analyze to decide whether it’s better to wait for lower prices or book now based on certain scenarios, destinations, and travel dates.
For Domestic flightsPrices are generally lowest between 21 and 52 days before your trip – with 38 days Before departure is on average the cheapest day to book.
For international flightsPrices are generally lowest between 50 and 101 days before your trip, but it’s generally best to book as early as possible. According to Google, “average prices don’t drop significantly before departure, but they typically start to rise within 50 days of the flight itself” when it comes to international travel from the U.S.
When is the best time to book a flight in each season?
Here’s what Google says about the best times to book holiday flights and vacations to certain popular destinations.
Thanksgiving: The cheapest domestic flights over Thanksgiving are usually available 26 to 59 days in advance, with the cheapest flights available 45 days in advance. This means that the best time to book your Thanksgiving flights is in early October.
Christmas: The cheapest domestic flights for the winter holidays are usually available 36 to 72 days in advance, with flights cheapest 58 days in advance. The best time to book Christmas or holiday travel is in the second half of October.
Summer break: The cheapest domestic flights in July and August are usually available 13 to 43 days in advance, with 21 days before departure being the cheapest day to book on average.
Spring break: The cheapest domestic flights in March and April are available 33 to 59 days in advance, with 44 days before departure being the cheapest time to book on average.
When is the best time to book a flight to Europe?
International flights from the US to Europe are usually cheaper 50 or more days before departure with 94 days is on average the cheapest day to book. As with all international travel, it is generally best to book as early as possible.
When is the best time to book a flight to Mexico or the Caribbean?
International flights to Mexico and the Caribbean are the only exception to the general international trend, according to Google. This is because flights generally fly between 26 and 68 days in advance with 44 days turned out to be the cheapest.
What are the top holiday destinations?
Google has also published information on the most searched destinations for each vacation.
Thanksgiving: The most searched destinations for trips departing between November 24 and December 1 include Orlando (Florida), Cancun (Mexico), New York, Tokyo, London and more.
There are more domestic locations on the Thanksgiving list.
Christmas and New Year: The most searched destinations for travel between December 22 and January 5 include Tokyo, Orlando (Florida), Cancun (Mexico), Miami, New York and more.
At Christmas and New Year, people seem to be more interested in traveling abroad, as shown by the most common searches on Google Flights.
For more information, check out CNET’s picks for the best travel credit cards in 2024. Plus, learn about the 12 travel essentials you should always pack and the airlines with the worst flight delays and cancellations.
