Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
Don’t fret about your airfare budget if you’re planning an international trip and trying to pinch pennies. Just plan ahead and study the best times to book.
While you can often find great deals year-round thanks to regular flash sales from the biggest airlines, you can’t always rely on the timing. In these situations, it’s good to look at wider booking trends and the seasonality of your destination when deciding how far in advance you should book.
When is the best time to buy international flights? Is it worth waiting for a last-minute deal, or should you lock in that airfare right this second? CheapAir — a website where you can search for inexpensive airfare and compare flights — looked at all the possible days to book trips from the U.S. to different regions worldwide. The website identified which days are best to score the cheapest airfare.
Which days of the week are the cheapest to fly?
Generally, Tuesday and Wednesday are always the least expensive days of the week to fly; Sunday is, more often than not, the most expensive. On average, you could save between $25 and $350 by traveling on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on your destination. When exactly to book, however, does vary between regions.
You’ll find a summary of the website’s other findings and a more detailed breakdown of CheapAir’s results below.
Canada
Best time to buy: Three to 10 months before your travel date.
Cheapest months to travel: February and March.
Most expensive months to travel: August and December.
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Fares in spring and fall tend to be marginally better — roughly $25 less — than those in winter and summer. If you’re traveling as a family, you may find these savings worth it; if you’re a solo traveler, this amount of money is fairly minimal and might not be worth changing your travel plans around to keep in your wallet.
If you’re planning a summer trip, you’ll ideally want to look to book around eight to 10 months in advance to take advantage of the lowest fares; winter is similarly aligned. Fall and spring, however, see the best fares as late as five to six months before travel.
Mexico
Best time to buy: One to five months before your travel date.
Cheapest months to travel: January and February.
Most expensive months to travel: August and December.
Airfare to Mexico is fairly consistent throughout the year but can be slightly cheaper in January and February if you really want to save those pennies.
Broadly speaking, you don’t need to give yourself too much time between booking and traveling unless you’re looking for a December winter getaway. If so, it’s best to book about seven months before your travel date.
Caribbean
Best time to buy: Two to five months before your travel date.
Cheapest months to travel: September and October.
Most expensive months to travel: July and December.
Traveling to the Caribbean from the U.S. is relatively straightforward if you’re looking for optimal pricing with good options dotted throughout every month.
If you’re looking for a Christmas escape, you might want to book around five months before you plan to travel. During summer, you can often find good late deals — about one to two months before traveling.
Central America and South America
Best time to buy: Two to five months before your travel date.
Cheapest months to travel: September and October.
Most expensive months to travel: July and December.
Unsurprisingly it’s more expensive flying to both Central America and South America during the summer and winter months — particularly around the holidays.
If you’re looking for the perfect window, consider traveling to the region during spring, when ticket prices are about $50 to $60 less on average than during other seasons.
South Pacific
Best time to buy: Nine to 10 months before your travel date.
Cheapest months to travel: January and April.
Most expensive months to travel: October and November.
To really see any savings on flights to the South Pacific from the U.S., you’ll need to look at booking at least eight months out.
If you’re hoping to travel in spring or fall, you can afford to wait a little longer since the differences in savings are fairly minimal.
Asia
Best time to buy: 10 months before your travel date.
Cheapest months to travel: January and April.
Most expensive months to travel: August and December.
As with travel to the South Pacific, Asia doesn’t deviate too much. You’ll want to book at least eight months out to find the best prices.
The busiest months tend to be August and December (around the Christmas rush). If you’re flexible, spring and fall may offer better prices.
Europe
Best time to buy: One to seven months before your travel date.
Cheapest months to travel: October and November.
Most expensive months to travel: May and June.
It goes without saying that the most expensive time to travel to Europe is during the summer months. Average airfares will regularly come in at more than $1,100. Plus, once you arrive, you’ll be competing for space with European vacationers looking for some sun closer to home.
If you’re flexible with your travel dates, you might find that fall shoulder season fares come in, on average, about $200 less than summer fares. Depending on your destination, you can still chase the weather and sunbathe in sunny climates.
With consistent flights to Europe running throughout all seasons, you can find good fares quite late in the game. If you’d rather get your plans settled early, look to book around six to seven months before you travel.
Middle East
Best time to buy: Two to 10 months before your travel date.
Cheapest months to travel: October and November.
Most expensive months to travel: July and December.
The sweet spot for booking flights to the Middle East from the U.S. appears to be about eight months before you’re set to travel.
The winter and summer periods are definitely the busiest here. If you’re traveling during the spring and fall, you have a little more leeway regarding when to book. You can often find good deals around two to three months before you travel.
Africa
Best time to buy: Two to 10 months before your travel date.
Cheapest month to travel: February.
Most expensive month to travel: July.
If you’re planning an escape to Africa, it’s wise to book your flights as early as possible throughout most of the year. The only outlier is if you want to visit in spring when you can often get good deals for flights quite close to your planned departure date — around three months before.
Keep in mind that the rainy season falls during the spring months in some parts of the continent.
Bottom line
If you can plan far ahead, it can pay to book travel many months in advance. If you need a shorter booking window, it is still possible to find good fares as long as you’re flexible with both the destination and the conditions in your chosen locale (as deals are commonly available during off-season periods when the weather might not be entirely desirable).
Note: While the above information is a fairly consistent guide to finding the best prices to travel, there are always outliers. For example, trips to London during the coronation or Munich during Oktoberfest will probably cost more since these are peak tourist times. In these instances, it’s often worth checking for flight deals or holding out for flash sales.
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