When is the best time to purchase an airline ticket?
For the 30-plus years I’ve been in the travel business, this question has come up time and time again. In 2013, CheapAir.com conducted a study that monitored 4,191,533 ticket purchases over 10 months. Bookings ranged from 320 days in advance to 1 day in advance, and included every possible booking date in between. The study found that the best time to buy a domestic airline ticket was 54 days in advance (7-1/2 weeks). They also uncovered a “prime booking window” of 29-104 days prior to your travel days to be optimum.
This study also found that for domestic flights, those who booked before the prime booking window of 29-104 days in advance, paid an average of $33 more per ticket than those who booked within that window. But those who booked too late paid an average of $73 more per ticket.
The study also gathered statistics for international destinations. Click here to read more.
