Study Finds the Best Time to Buy Plane Tickets
Everyone knows that buying plane tickets at the last minute can be very expensive. But did you know that buying them as soon as they become available usually isn't the cheapest option?
Travel website CheapAir.com looked at 917 million airfares sold in the US. They wanted to answer the question, "When is the best time to buy my airline ticket?"
The study found that in 2017, on average, the best time to buy a domestic flight within the US was 70 days in advance. That's longer than in 2016, when they found that 54 days in advance was the best time to buy.
The study recommended checking domestic flight prices between four months and three weeks before the date of travel. During this time, the average ticket was within five percent of the lowest possible price.
Most flights can be booked as early as 11 months before the date of travel. However, the study found that domestic US flights booked between six and 11 months in advance were on average $50 more expensive than the lowest possible price. Flights booked less than a week in advance were $208 more expensive on average.
Interestingly, the average ticket changed price 62 times between becoming available and the actual date of travel. That's about once every five to six days. Each time, the price went up or down by an average of about $36.
For international travel, the best time to buy was less clear as it changed a lot depending on the destination. But "the most important rule is ... obvious," says Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir. "Don’t wait until the last minute, as that rarely works out."
