Finding cheap flights and accommodations is often a game of timing. Information on when to book flights and hotels for the best deals based on round-trip flight data and daily hotel rates between October 1, 2017, and September 30, 2018, has been released by Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corporation in their 2019 Travel Pricing Outlook.
Locating Low-Cost Airfares
The report states that the optimal time to book a trip is three weeks in advance from any location (regardless of the ultimate destination). The cheapest flights are typically available on quordle Thursdays or Fridays (with discounts of up to 10 percent), while Sunday departures are the most expensive. Sunday is the cheapest day to fly, with savings of up to 36%, according to the study (except in New Zealand, where the report found Tuesdays were the cheapest day to book). They discovered that Thursday and Friday bookings cost the most.
Reports on the best times to book can vary. Then, Tuesday is the best day to book a local flight and Wednesday an international flight, according to Skyscanner.
Kayak’s 2019 Travel Hacker Guide recommends booking ahead for different destinations.
Kayak found that booking one month in advance gets you the cheapest U.S.-to-North America, South America, and the Caribbean flights. Kayak recommends booking flights to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia six months in advance.
Expedia and the ARC found that adding a Saturday night to a midweek trip can save 25% on airfare. You may save up to 50% on round-trip flights between London and New York City with a Saturday night stay. Monday through Wednesday have the highest hotel rates, while Friday and Saturday have the lowest. We recommend using Google Flights to view the cheapest times to go on a calendar and Hopper to never miss a deal.
Even if you don’t have a specific location in mind, you can still find great deals by using Skyscanner’s Everywhere Search, and if you call a hotel and use the proper terminology, you may be able to get a better rate than you expected.
