The most instrumental question while planning a trip is – How far in advance should I book my flight? What time would guarantee cheap flight tickets? When can one get the best airfare deals? For most of travellers, cheap tickets are what lays the foundation of the trip. Once, the destination is decided or sometimes even prior to that, one thing that a traveller does is to check the plane tickets and ensure that they get most cheap plane tickets. Because let’s admit it, a dollar saved, is happiness gained. With air flight prices being Volatile with a capital V, even the best of flight deals cannot help save as much as an advance booking can.
But then how much in advance should one make the flight booking? The flight ticket booking should just be the most appropriate time to ensure cheap airfare and not too much in advance as to miss out on the great flight deals or a drop in flight prices that might come by later. Also, when you book a flight, there are other important factors to consider such as best day of the week to buy flights, your destination, time of travel, and whether it is a domestic flight or an international flight.
Nevertheless, according to studies the best time to book a flight is 70-80 days before departure for U.S. domestic flights; while for international flights 60 days before departure. This happens to be the Prime Booking Window and travellers should closely monitor airfare prices and pounce on an attractive price whenever it strikes. Though flight prices may drop any time before the actual departure date, yet they are more likely to increase than fall as they come close to the date of departure. The airlines generally offer cheap airfares to price conscious travellers and reserve full fare for the travellers who book last minute. Last minute flights should be strictly avoided unless they cannot be avoided. Booking early has by far proven to be get the most discounted fares and best flight deals.
On the other hand, when you make the booking in advance, ensure you do not book on a weekend. In case an event such as a Black Friday, make sure to make the most of the flight deals at the time. Airlines tend to offer great Black Friday flight deals, to capture more and more customers. That said, avoid travelling during holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc. as the airfares shoot up. In fact, capturing the amazing flight deals (for later dates) during this time is more beneficial. Also, ensure that you have just the right flight finder in incognito mode to find the lowest airfare.
With all the above tools and strategies in place, and a hawk’s eye to spot cheap tickets during the Prime Booking Window – is how a traveller can ensure he gets the best flight deals and the lowest airfare. Booking in advance within the right time frame is always a great idea!