Everyone has their own theory as to when the best time to book flights is. But booking a flight can feel complicated — so how can you be sure?
To make things a little easier, here are the best tips and tricks to know before booking your next flight.
Domestic and international flights
Whether you’re wanting to relax on the beaches of Florida or explore the woods of Washington, Travel + Leisure states that when booking a domestic flight, you’ll want to look two weeks to two months in advance to find the lowest price.
However, if this feels a little too last minute for you, NerdWallet reported that domestic flights that are booked between one to three months in advance are “25% less expensive than last-minute deals” on average.
You want to avoid those last minute deals because you can risk not getting a seat.
When booking an international flight, you don’t want to book too far in advance but also not too last-minute. Travel + Leisure and The Points Guy both say that it’s best to look three to five months ahead of the time.
But be aware that, unlike domestic flights, the optimal window for international flights could differ depending on the route that you take, according to Travel + Leisure.
For example, a flight from New York to Paris might be cheaper at a different time than a flight from Los Angeles to Paris.
Tips for traveling in the summer
Summer time is usually a big time for traveling for most families, but it’s also one of the more expensive times to travel. Here are two ways to find cheaper airfare during this time of year.
Look as early as possible
Travel + Leisure advises to start looking as early as possible. Then, you should book at least 90 days before your departure for any international flights and within 90 days of your departure for domestic flights.
This will be where you can find the best prices for you and your family.
Try traveling in August
If prices are still too high for you, another option is to look at traveling in August.
This is the cheapest month to fly and you can save up to 12% on domestic and up to 7% on international flights, according to USA Today.
Is there a best day of the week to book a flight?
One of the biggest myths when it comes to purchasing airfare is that there is a specific day of the week that always has the cheapest tickets.
This is not exactly true.
The Points Guy and Booking.com state that there is no “magical” day or time to find the best prices.
But there is a better chance of getting a cheaper flight when you fly on a weekday, when it’s less busy, rather than a weekend.
Other helpful booking tips
Here are some helpful tips when it comes to booking flights in 2025.
Price alerts
Tracking the prices of tickets is also very helpful for any kind of flight you are looking at and you’ll notice everyone telling you to let technology track them for you by using price alerts.
This helps in the fact that you don’t have to get on everyday and check what the prices are, instead you can receive an alert when prices have dropped.
Google Flights is a great option for tracking prices and it also sometimes shows when the prices are expected to drop based on past history, according to NerdWallet.
Be flexible
Lastly, be flexible. This means being flexible about the days, times, locations and even layovers for your trip.
Being flexible can make a big difference in helping you to find the best deals for your flight, according to Booking.com.