Don’t book another flight until you read the results of this new study! Plus we’ve got bonus information on booking cheap hotel rooms.
For the past five years, the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) has collaborated with Expedia to produce the Air Travel Outlook Report. It may sound like a dry read, but it’s a gold mine of information about when’s the best time to purchase airline tickets at the lowest prices. We’ve read the report and have boiled it all down for you. In addition, ARC and Expedia looked at hotel booking trends for the first time. We cover that, too.
One central theme that stands out? Timing matters. And your time matters, too. Expedia research reveals some people will make up to 50 searches online before deciding to book. Be smart. Keep reading!
1. Book flights at least three weeks ahead of departure
For most destinations around the world, the average ticket prices for both economy and premium cabins tend to rise as the departure date nears. ARC found that the “sweet spot” for fare savings was about three weeks in advance. Of course, in order to take advantage of those lower ticket prices, you’ll need to be somewhat flexible about your flights.
KidTripster Tip: If you’re booking on miles or booking a flight where arriving at a particular time is important (for example, a cruise departure), don’t wait. Book early.
2. Book flights on Sunday
Again this year, the study found that booking your flight on Sunday yields the best fares. (New Zealand flights are the exception. Book those on a Tuesday for the least expensive fare.) Some passengers saved as much as 36%! The worst days of the week to book: Thursday and Friday.
KidTripster Tip: Don’t assume that non-stop flights always cost more. In fact, sometimes they’re actually less.
3. Book hotel stays on Friday
Drawing on data from Expedia’s inventory of more than 895,000 properties, the study found that travelers typically get the lowest hotel rates when searching on Friday. Unlike airfares, the most expensive day to book is Sunday.
4. Start your journey on Thursday or Friday
Try to book your departing flight on a Thursday or Friday, regardless of whether you’re buying economy or premium tickets. The average savings will be about 10%. And avoid starting your trip on a Sunday; those airline tickets will cost more.
5. Extend weekday trips
If you can extend weekday travel (Monday through Friday) to include a Saturday night stay, you’ll save an average of 25% on your airline ticket. The savings is nearly 50% on popular business traveler routes like London-New York.
Need more help finding cheap flights? AirTreks specializes in putting together multi-stop itineraries. The website has an easy-to-use mapping tool to get you started. AirTreks also offers travel specialists to help with the details. Check them out here.
Please know that we love its product so much that KidTripster has decided to partner with AirTreks as an affiliate. That means if you use our link to book, we get some coffee money from them. There’s no additional cost to you. Just wanted you to know!
Pin to Pinterest & Read Later
