Like most things in life, timing is everything. Some people get a thrill out of the anticipation. Some love watching the countdown until concert tickets are live or until the clock strikes midnight and they can buy the newest product. I, however, am not one of those individuals. I am about as impatient as they come (shoutout to my friends and family for still loving me). When it comes to travel, it is no different. I like things to be fast, easy, and efficient. So, here is to those of you who want to put a date on the calendar, book your flight, and not have to deal with the constant flight price checking nonsense (I get it and I am here for you).
Day of the Week
The madness behind booking flights is going to differ between international and domestic flights. The most common time that people are looking at flights is on Sunday nights. People are dreading the Monday blues so they plan, or sometimes hypothetically plan (guilty...), a vacation instead of thinking about the coming work week. It is because of that reason that you do not want to book on Sundays. Prices tend to be higher (those tricky airlines, playing with our feelings). So to start, the best time to book a flight to any destination is during the typical work week.
Let's start with domestic flights. The best day to book a domestic flight is on a Tuesday. Why? Because I was born on a Tuesday. Just kidding, I'm not that important. People have gotten over their Monday blues (Mondays are another expensive day to book) and by Tuesday they may not being thinking of that vacation they were thinking about two days earlier.
As for international flights, the best days to look are Wednesdays. Again, another weekday where people tend to be in the grind of the work week instead of thinking about travel.
Time of Day
Now, I know I just said I am not a person who wakes up at the crack of dawn to go online and race others for that concert ticket or new item, but I do wake up early to find a good flight deal. The nice part about booking flights is the fact that there is not a specific set time that you HAVE to book, so you go ahead and hit that snooze button a few times. The best time to book a flight is either early in the morning (5am/6am) or late at night (11pm/midnight). Essentially, avoid the standard business operations hours--your wallet (and your employer) with thank you.
When to Book
Similar to day of week, this will also vary between domestic and international flights. If you haven't read my first blog (shameless plug), I talk about the prediction metrics used to anticipate when to book your flights. However, there are some helpful best practices to keep in mind. With domestic flights, you want to aim to book your flight about two to three months in advance. For international flights, you should be looking about three to five months in advance for the best deal. I often times get asked about super last minute deals and in my experience it can be hit-or-miss. They are still worth taking a look at but not always a reliable way to get a great price.
The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Incognito Mode
Does incognito mode work for finding cheap flights? The answer: sometimes. If you are going to use incognito mode to book your flights, be sure you are clearing your history and cookies (on both your laptop and phone). Even if you weren't looking at flights (but maybe looking at hotels/restaurants/etc. at your intended destination), the internet knows if you are planning a trip....stalker. My best practice (or paranoia) is to research flights on someone else's laptop/phone before booking on my own. Does it actually make a difference? Not always, but worth a try.
I Promise...I'm Not Making This Up
I was never very good at proper citations in my grad school papers, but I did want to include a section to give a shoutout to the resources I have used over the years to gather and collect the information I provided in this post. So, HUGE shoutout to Skyscanner Yearly User Reports, CheapAir Annual Reports, and Travel & Leisure.
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Check back next time for an out of this world treat! The stars are aligning and I have destination recommendations based on all the astrological signs. You know what they say about Scorpios, they have pretty great intuition. :) See you then!