The best time to book a flight

There’s nothing more annoying than when you research how much flights cost, save up enough money and when you go to book, the flights have increased in price by £200! We’ve all been there and while many keep checking prices and pounce at the first chance, there’s actually a method to the madness. So I’m going to share with you exactly when the best time to book a flight is.

Did you know each individual trip has an average of 92 fare changes between the time the flights open for booking and the time they take off!

As a general rule, flights are at their cheapest 54 days before take off with last minute, particularly the day before take off being the most expensive. Booking for flights usually begins 331 days before take off, with the first four months being relatively high and consistent. Prices then start to fall 225 days prior and continue until 54 days before take off. Prices will then gradually increase again with the day before being the most expensive.

While this is a general rule to follow, different destinations have different ideal booking times. From the UK, European destinations such as Spain, Italy, France, Portugal and Croatia all have cheapest prices at 5-6 weeks prior to take off. Further away destinations, such as North America requires booking 21 weeks in advance to score the best deal.

Sites like Skyscanner allow you to set up a price alert on certain flights or destinations. This means you’ll receive a handy dandy email when the price changes, meaning you’ll be able to land the best deal possible.

When do you guys typically look to book your flights? Were any of you surprised by the research?