Whether you’re traveling across state lines or around the globe, figuring out precisely the best time to book your flights can feel like a (very frustrating) guessing game. Ultimately, the answer comes down to two factors: where you’re going and when you’re traveling.
To help answer the age-old question, we tapped experts from Priceline, Skyscanner, and Kayak to share their top tips and insights on the best time to book a flight for domestic, international, and summer travel. And while we’ll dive deeper into the data below, it is worth noting that, in general, flexibility is key. Adjusting your travel dates by even a few days can lead to lower fares, especially during peak seasons. For example, for summer travel, Skyscanner data shows that delaying your trip to late August instead of early July could save you nearly 30 percent. Similarly, if you’re able to, flying on off-peak days—like Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays—can also result in significant savings, explains Christina Bennett, Priceline’s consumer travel expert.
Booking Tip
Ultimately, the best time to book a flight depends on your travel dates and destination. As a general rule, you’ll want to book within 2-3 months of departure for domestic trips and over 90 days out for international travel, according to our experts.
Each of the aforementioned sites offers its own innovative features to help travelers discover the best time to lock in airfare. Skyscanner’s Savings Generator tool assists travelers in finding the average monthly airfare and the best time to book flights to popular destinations from the U.S.; it even suggests more affordable alternatives. Kayak’s Best Time to Travel page also helps travelers determine the ideal time to book and travel based on their origin, destination, and trip length. Additionally, Skyscanner’s whole month search tool will help you find the cheapest day to fly to and from your destination in a selected month. Last but not least, Priceline offers price alerts—as does Kayak and Skyscanner—as well as a new Gen AI travel assistant, Penny, to help provide personalized and discounted recommendations, price predictions, and booking insights to help users save money and make more informed travel decisions.
Read on for expert-backed advice on the best time to book domestic, international, and summer travel—and how to make the most of every dollar spent on your next trip.
When to Book Flights for Domestic Travel
“Generally,” explains Bennett, “the further you plan to travel, the further out you should plan your travel.” With this in mind, she tells Travel + Leisure that “U.S. travelers planning domestic or North American vacations should aim to book flights between two weeks to two months in advance to get the best fares.” After that, you can expect fares to increase as travelers book last-minute trips.
When to Book Flights for International Travel
According to Bennett, when booking international travel—“especially to Europe, Asia or the Middle East”—you should lock in your flights “at least three months in advance based on historical pricing patterns.”
Kayla Inserra DeLoache, Kayak’s consumer travel trends expert, echoes this advice, telling T+L that to avoid overpaying, travelers should steer clear of booking too far in advance (more than 10 months out) or too last-minute (less than three weeks before departure). She also emphasizes that, unlike domestic flights, the optimal booking window for international travel varies significantly by route. “For example,” she notes, “the best time to book a flight from New York City to London may differ from booking the same trip from Los Angeles.” This is where price alerts can come in handy; just set the alert for your desired flight on your platform of choice, and stay tuned for updates.
Lindsay adds that savvy travelers can find great international flight deals by looking around major U.S. holidays. “Thanksgiving, in particular, is one of the best times to score international deals, as most travelers opt for domestic flights during the holiday season.”
When to Book Flights for Summer Travel
To secure the best airfare for summer trips, timing is everything, which is why Bennett recommends following what she calls the “rule of 90.” “Based on pricing trends,” she explains, “I’ve dubbed the ‘rule of 90’ for summer travel, meaning you should seek to book any international travel at least 90 days out and any domestic travel within 90 days of departure.”
She continues, telling T+L, “This goes back to my earlier comment that the further you plan to travel, the further out you should plan it. However, I always suggest locking in a great deal when you see one.”
Choosing the right travel dates is key to maximizing savings, too. According to historical Skyscanner data, the first week of July is the most popular—and most expensive—time to travel. However, the same data found that, on average, U.S. travelers can save 29 percent by flying in mid-August instead of early July. “If you’re among the 41 percent of Americans still undecided on a summer vacation destination, consider traveling the week of Aug. 18, which is, on average, the cheapest week to fly,” says Laura Lindsay, global travel trends expert at Skyscanner.
Additionally, “During peak periods, especially during summer, airlines often add additional flights to their schedules to the most popular destinations,” says Bennett. With that in mind, she advises keeping an eye out for flash sales or destination-specific deals during these schedule changes.” Not sure where to go? The solution’s simple: “Reverse engineer your vacation by booking where there’s a great deal.”
When to Book Flights for Holiday Travel
The winter holidays are among the busiest times of the year for travel, making early planning essential to secure the best deals, says Bennett. “Priceline data shows that historically, September and October have been the best months to book airfare at lower prices.”
For even greater savings, she advises travelers to stay flexible with their dates and avoid peak travel days. “Traveling a few days earlier or later can result in significant savings,” she explains. Additionally, in some cases, traveling on the holiday itself can be a great money-saving option—as long as you have the flexibility to do so.
More Ways to Maximize Your Savings
Whether you’re booking a multi-country escape or a quick city break, read on to discover even more ways to save on flights.
Don’t get tied down to one destination.
If you have flexibility with your travel plans and keep an open mind, you can score incredible deals by letting price—as opposed to a specific location—guide your next adventure. “There’s a reason ‘everywhere’ is this year’s top search destination for adventurous travelers on Skyscanner,” says Lindsay. Kayak also offers a similar search tool that helps travelers find flights virtually anywhere, highlighting destinations with the lowest airfare.
For even more destination inspiration, consider Skyscanner’s Savvy Search feature. It’s simple, says Lindsay: “You tell Savvy Search what kind of vacation is on your mind or simply ask for inspiration, and you’ll get a curated list of travel recommendations.”
Set up price alerts.
According to Lindsay, scoring the best flight deals is “all about timing, especially when booking summer flights.” If you do have a specific destination in mind—be it a romantic Parisian getaway, a wine-filled retreat in Napa Valley, or a hiking expedition to Machu Picchu—it’s a good idea to set up price alerts for a route you like. As previously mentioned, many travel booking sites offer this tool.
Consider a multi-city flight.
“Multi-city flights add extra legs to your trip, making it a smart way to see more destinations in one go,” says Lindsay. “This is typically less expensive—and easier—to book than cobbling together a few one-way flights between multiple destinations.”
Look into bundling your travel expenses.
Last but not least, to get the most value for your money, travelers should consider bundling flights with hotels or rental cars for maximum savings. According to Bennett, “Packaging together your travel bookings leads to the best deals possible, and bundles that combine air and hotel or hotel and rental car help the savings add up when planning a trip. For example, when a customer bundles their hotel and flight together, on average they save $240.”
