Figuring out the best time to book a flight is like trying to fold a fitted sheet: everyone pretends to know how, but chaos wins most of the time. Luckily, a few simple tricks can save you serious money.
Despite what your wallet might think, planes don’t cost more on Mondays. But airline ticket prices love to play hide-and-seek on weekends. The smartest days to book are usually Tuesday to Thursday, when everyone else is too busy pretending to be productive at work. Airlines often adjust their fares mid-week, and that’s when the bargains pop up.
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If you think last-minute booking makes you a travel wizard, think again. Airfare is not a lottery ticket. The closer you get to the departure date, the higher the prices climb, especially within two to three weeks before takeoff.
Long-haul flights, three to five months before
The sweet spot for most medium-haul flights is about two to three months in advance, and for long-haul flights, three to five months.
No, your computer isn’t glitching when ticket prices change every five minutes. That’s just the airlines doing airline things. To stay sane, use price alerts, compare across multiple search engines, and focus on trends rather than panic-refreshing the page. And remember: the best time to book is simply when you find a fare that doesn’t make you question your life choices.
