For many travellers, purchasing tickets for airplane flights is the most expensive part of their trip. Depending on the distance and location, such tickets might turn out to be rather costly for you. It is natural that you might be willing to purchase your tickets for as small amount of money as possible, however, it is not obvious when the bets time for booking tickets is.
This article will help you to understand some trends for prices for airplane tickets.
How far in advance is it better to purchase tickets for international flights?
If you have been following the prices for international flights, you might have seen pretty large differences in them. Indeed, it looks like that, albeit, in the reality, the change in prices for international flights is a more gradual process. Actually, many experts admit the prices for international flights tend to be flat for a period of several months. Then, they will start increasing slowly. The final stage of the price change happens some ninety days before departure. Then, the increase in the prices is accelerating.
This is in fact a difference between the costs of international flights and domestic ones. The latter ones are showing more fluctuation whereas the international flights have more stable prices most of the time.
Taking these facts into consideration, you might find it useful to purchase your tickets starting from five and a half months from departure. One and a half months from departure might be the last moment to get your tickets for the lowest possible price.
When ids the best time for booking a domestic flight?
It has already been mentioned above that prices for domestic flights are more prone to fluctuations. The general trend is showing that tickets for domestic flight are more likely to be available for an attractive price during the period starting from three months prior to the flight and ending a month before that time. The analysis conducted by experts showed that around half a year prior to departure, the flights tend to have prices nearly 20% higher than their normal value. Around the time when three months are left before departure, they start dropping. In many cases, the lowest prices for tickets for domestic flights are available nearly seven weeks before the flight.
Of course, you should understand that this is not a rule and it is possible that the prices will not be established according this plan. Yet, for the majority of domestic flights, you might use this booking suggestion.
Pay attention to the popularity of your travelling destination and time
Certainly, airplane tickets to the most popular tourist destinations tend to be more expensive. In addition to it, the time of the year has a great role in the developing of ticket prices. As you can imagine, during vacations and holidays, flights to the same destination can be more expensive.
It might be not thus easy to pick the right time and buy tickets to such destinations for the lowest possible price, however, booking your flight during the time when many tourists are travelling is definitely not a good idea.