What is the Best Time to Book a Flight and Save More?

Timing is everything when it comes to booking your flight. Many people think that booking cheap flights is all about luck. However, that is far from the truth. There is a lot more to booking cheap flights than you think.

Since the prices of airfare are changing all the time due to a number of factors like demand and competition, knowing the timing and sale trends of various airlines can help you save a lot of money on your airfare costs.

In this article, we will discuss the ideal time to book your flights, along with the ideal booking trends for major airlines such as Southwest Airlines, Delta Airlines, Qatar Airways, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Emirates Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Air France, Korean Air, and many more.

Best Time to Book a Flight

While there is no hard-and-fast rule for booking your flight, some trends are quite obvious from travel data. 

Ideal Booking Window

Experts believe that you should book your flights within these ideal time windows:

• Domestic Flights: 1 to 3 months before your flight
• International Flights: 2 to 8 months before your flight
• Holiday Travel: 3 to 6 months before your flight

Booking too early or too late may also increase prices, as the airline sets fares based on demand and seat availability.

Best Days to Book

Airfares vary constantly. However, when considering large datasets, we might be able to identify some trends.

• Prices on Sundays might be slightly lower than on other days.
• The prices on Tuesdays and Wednesdays might also be low.
• Prices on Fridays and weekends might be higher, as more people tend to fly on these days.

Cheapest Days to Fly

The flight date might be more important than the booking date.

• The cheapest days to fly might be Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
• The most expensive day to fly might be Sundays.

Cheapest Months to Travel

Traveling during off-peak seasons might be the cheapest option if you have the flexibility.

Best months for cheap flights:

• January 
• August 
• September

These months typically have lower travel demand, allowing airlines to reduce prices.

When Do Airlines Have Sales? (Full Guide)

Airlines offer various promotions and sales to fill their available seats during periods of low booking volume. Knowing each airline’s sale periods can help you get the best deals.

The following is a quick overview of popular airlines and their respective sale periods.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is one of the most popular low-cost airlines in the United States. It has a large network of domestic routes and offers a no-change-fee guideline and free checked baggage.

When Does Southwest Have Sales?

Southwest Airlines normally offers promotions during:

• Seasonal fare sales
• Tuesday or mid-week flash sales
• Holiday sales: Travel Tuesday or Black Friday
• 2-3 months before travel dates: Domestic routes

These sales normally include domestic routes in the United States and nearby destinations.

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines is a full-service airline, one of the biggest in the world, with extensive domestic and international routes from its main hubs in the USA.

When Does Delta Air Lines Have Sales?

Delta Air Lines typically has sales during:

• Flash Sales Announced Mid-Week
• Seasonal Travel Promotions
• Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales
• Off-Peak Travel Periods like January and September

Flash sales by Delta Air Lines may sometimes include discounts for both domestic and international travel.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways is a world-class airline with a reputation for luxury travel and extensive international routes from its hub in Doha.

When Does Qatar Airways Have Sales?

Promotions by Qatar Airways typically happen during:

• Global Travel Festivals
• Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales
• Anniversary Sales
• Seasonal Fare Promotions for Long-Haul Flights

These sales often include significant discounts on premium cabins and international routes.

Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines is an ultra-low-cost airline based in the United States. Its main focus is on offering low fares and charging extra for baggage and seat selection.

When Does Frontier Have Sales?

Frontier Airlines frequently announces the following sales:

• Weekly promo codes
• Tuesday Discount Release
• Flash Sales
• Seasonal Promotions

Frontier Airlines has low fares to begin with. So, their flash sales will be extremely discounted fares.

JetBlue Airways

JetBlue Airways is an airline that is well-known for offering low fares without compromising comfort. They offer extra legroom and free in-flight entertainment.

When Does JetBlue Have Sales?

JetBlue frequently announces the following sales:

• Flash Sales Mid-Week
• Seasonal Promotions
• Holiday Sales Events
• Destination Promotions

JetBlue often discounts routes to Caribbean and U.S. destinations.

Emirates

Emirates is one of the most prestigious international airlines offering premium services and a global network of flights from Dubai.

When Does Emirates Have Sales?

Emirates normally announces sales on the following occasions:

• Global sale events
• Seasonal travel campaigns
• Dubai shopping festival promotions
• Holiday travel deals

These sales can include discounts on long-haul flights and premium cabin upgrades.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is known for offering the best services and providing the best travel experience.

When Does Singapore Airlines Have Sales?

Singapore Airlines normally announces sales on the following occasions:

• Global travel fairs
• Anniversary promotions
• Regional travel campaigns
• Holiday sales events

Singapore Airlines normally offers discounts on flights to Asia, Europe, and North America.

Air France

Air France is the flag carrier of France and provides a vast network of flights to Europe, America, and Asia.

When Does Air France Have Sales?

Air France normally announces sales on the following occasions:

• Seasonal travel promotions
• European travel deals
• Black Friday sales
• Flash sales on international travel deals

Air France normally provides discounts on flights to Europe.

Korean Air

Korean Air is one of the biggest airlines in Asia. It provides air transport services to various destinations in Asia, Europe, and North America.

When Does Korean Air Have Sales?

Promotions at Korean Air are common during the following events:

• Seasonal travel promotions
• Promotions on Asian routes
• Holiday promotions
• Early bird promotions

These promotions are mostly common on routes with a layover in Seoul.

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines is one of the biggest airlines in America. It provides excellent air transport services in America, especially on the West Coast and in Hawaii.

When does Alaska Airlines Have Sales?

Promotions at Alaska Airlines are common during the following events:

• Weekly fare promotions
• Midweek flash promotions
• Holiday promotions
• Mileage promotions

These sales frequently include routes to Hawaii and West Coast destinations.

How to Use a Flight Price Tracker for Airlines?

Are you ready to take your skills to the next level? With these trackers, you can turn waiting into winning. Here’s your simple playbook to follow:

• Google Flights – Just enter your cities, turn on the price graph feature, and set up your price alert. 
• Going.com (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) – Get free flight alert notifications for mistake prices from your airport. 
• Hopper App – Get AI-based “buy now” or “wait” recommendations with 95% accuracy. Green dots indicate “buy now!”
• Kayak or Skyscanner – Track your preferred route and set up email notifications to get notified about price drops.
• Airline apps – Use Southwest’s Low Fare Calendar, Delta’s deals page, or JetBlue’s Best Fare Finder to get direct notifications.

How to Use Price Tracking for Your Benefit

The best way to use a price tracking system is by following these simple steps:

• Search for your route on a flight comparison website.
• Enable the price alert option for your chosen dates.
• Track prices for 1-2 weeks.
• Book when the prices drop or settle.

These steps will help you avoid overspending on a ticket while also allowing you to take advantage of available discounts.

Final Words!

Although there is no magic time and day of the week that will guarantee a person the cheapest airfare available, the best time to travel would be mid-week, i.e., Wednesdays, both for domestic and international travel. Weekends, i.e., Saturdays and Sundays, are expensive travel days, although Sundays have good deals available.

Instead of concentrating on the days of the week when one should purchase a plane ticket, one should aim at booking their tickets within an optimal time of one to six months, depending on their travel plans.

It would be best to book domestic travel one or two months in advance, whereas for international travel, one should aim at booking three or five months in advance of their travel date. It should be noted, however, that if one intends to use miles, it is never too early to start checking and booking their travel.

Frequently Asked Questions!