There’s constant discussion about the best ways to save money on plane tickets, but advice keeps changing. So when is the ideal — and the worst — time to book a flight to get the lowest fare?
A Wall Street Journal analysis recently found that Fridays tend to be the most expensive day to buy airline tickets. According to the report, average prices for tickets purchased on Fridays were about 13 percent higher than those bought on Sundays. One suggested explanation is that leisure travelers who hunt for discounted fares often shop on weekends, while business travelers booking at the end of the workweek tend to pay higher prices.
That said, searching on weekends or early in the week can sometimes yield better results than shopping on a Friday. Still, large-scale studies indicate there is no single foolproof trick for always scoring the cheapest tickets. Research from major industry groups suggests the most reliable approach is timing your purchase well in advance.
On average, booking roughly two months before departure increases the chances of finding a lower fare. This window gives you a balance between early-bird pricing and last-minute changes in demand that can push prices up.
In short: avoid making major purchasing decisions on Fridays when possible, compare fares across several days and providers, and plan ahead—booking around eight weeks out is a practical guideline for many routes.