The Best Time to Book Flights: How Far in Advance to Buy Tickets and Save Money

Flight prices can feel like a moving target, rising and falling for reasons no traveler can see. However, studies from Google and Expedia help by suggesting a pattern in the chaos.

Somewhere between booking too soon and waiting too long, fares tend to hit their lowest point. Two big 2026 studies point to narrower windows, and they vary depending on where and when you're headed.

Domestic Flights

Google found that fares in the U.S. drop to their lowest about 39 days before departure, with good prices available from 22 to 57 days out.

Expedia's "Air Hacks" report suggests a similar window of 15 to 30 days. Travelers who booked within that window saved an average of $130 compared to those who reserved seats six months in advance.

International Flights

Google reported that international fares bottom out about 89 days before departure, though the low point can arrive anywhere from 50 to 133 days out. For U.S. trips to Mexico or the Caribbean, the sweet spot is 43 days, and fares can look good from 24 to 69 days out.

Europe rewards slightly earlier planning, with the best deals typically around 90 days out and low fares available from 49 days or more. No data show that booking a full year ahead is the way to land a deal.

Holidays and Peak Seasons

Busy periods follow their own patterns, according to Google's analysis:

• Thanksgiving: Aim for 34 days out, with low fares from 21 to 57 days.
• Christmas: The lowest prices tend to appear 56 days ahead, and the best window runs 33 to 67 days, so searching can begin in early October through mid-November.
• Spring break (March and April): As one of the priciest windows of the year, fares hit their lowest point roughly 50 days out, with competitive pricing available from 29 to 64 days before travel.
• Summer (July and August): Bargains can appear less than a month before departure, with the lowest around 21 days and reasonable fares from 20 to 47 days.

Does the Day You Buy Matter?

Hardly. Google found Sunday to be the priciest day to purchase and Tuesday and Wednesday the cheapest, but the gap is only about 1.4 percent. Expedia named Friday the cheapest, saving travelers roughly three percent over Sunday, or about $9 on a $300 ticket.

Google summed it up with a line worth remembering: "You can forget the myth about buying on a specific day of the week." Its advice is to focus on when you fly instead.

Pick Your Travel Days Wisely

That choice can make a real difference. According to Google, leaving on a Monday and returning on a Tuesday or Wednesday can save about 14 percent compared with weekend flights, and up to 20 percent on domestic trips compared with leaving and returning on a Sunday.

Nonstop flights also cost about 20 percent more on average than itineraries with connections, so flexibility pays off. But even a well-timed ticket can run into trouble, so it helps to know where you stand. Find out which ten flight disruptions won't count as the airline's fault starting in 2027.