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When booking a flight, the early bird rarely gets the worm. The prime time for booking flights changes often and we have even noticed a jump in the amount of time in advance that you should book your flight to get the best deal. Just last year, it was recommended that you purchase your flight tickets 7-8 months in advance. However, the average estimated time to get the best deals is now three months. Keep reading to discover specific examples for international flights! This phenomenon is likely because there are quite a few seats that are going unsold on flights. If you purchase your tickets months in advance, the airline is unaware as to whether or not the seats will sell, so they keep the higher price until they realize that the flight isn’t selling and then they begin lowering the price. Another reason for this drop in price is due to airlines knowing what type of passenger is booking far in advanced or super last minute. Airlines do this because they know that someone that is booking a flight in advance or super last minute is more likely to spend more money on the ticket as they are going to go on this trip on this day regardless.
While these rules stand true for the majority of the year, when booking a flight for the holidays, chances are it doesn’t matter when you book your flight because you’re still going to be paying quite a bit in response to the high demand.
When to Book International Flights
As we mentioned, there are even more specifics for flying internationally. Check out the best times to book an international flight below:
- Canada: 59 days
- Mexico: 61 days
- Asia: 90 days
- Europe: 99 days
- Africa: 119 days
- Middle East: 119 days
- Central America: 61 days
- Caribbean: 76 days
- South America: 81 days
These statistics were presented by the CEO of cheapair.com, Jeff Klee. Klee also states that there is an excess capacity on trans-Pacific flights (especially to and from China), because of this the prices for tickets often fluctuate. Another suggestion may be to sign up for emailed airfare alerts, especially if you have flexibility in your travel plans.. There are many sites offering this service and the key would be to make sure they are tracking both American and Delta Air Lines. Also if you see a great fare you need to act quickly as some unpublished fare sales only last for a few hours.
Now that you know the best time to book your flight make sure you are booking your flight with us here at Albert J. Ellis airport. Book your flight today (if it’s within three months)!
Happy Travels