If expensive airfare is stopping you from booking a holiday, recent data from Google will come in clutch for securing a cheaper flight for your next trip.
Earlier this week, Google released data along with a list of tips on how to get your hands on the cheapest flight tickets.
US searches for “cheapest airline tickets” surged by over 240% from April to August this year, according to the search engine, with other popular searches including “when is the best time to book a flight?” and “how to find cheap flights?”
Based on five years' worth of data, here’s what to keep in mind to get the best deal on a flight, according to Google.
Fly during the week
According to Google’s findings, it’s historically cheaper to fly mid-week rather than on the weekend.
Flights departing on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday have been 12% cheaper than those on weekends. That percentage jumps to 20% if you only look at domestic flights.
You mainly want to avoid travelling on a Sunday, when flight prices are at an all-time high, Google says.
Ditch the direct flights
Flights with layovers look way more appealing when you see the price difference between them and direct flights.
Google reports that the fares for flights with layovers are, on average, 20% lower than non-stop flights.
Forget about booking on a Tuesday
We’re sorry to break it to you; Tuesdays are not the cheapest day of the week to book a flight.
Over the past five years, booking a flight on a week day instead of a weekend has only been 1.9% cheaper on average, reports Google.
So don’t waste your time waiting for a Tuesday to come around to book your flight, because you might be risking a price spike.
How far ahead to book depends on where you're going
Your flight price will also fluctuate based on how early you book, according to Google.
Typically, it’s recommended to buy your ticket 21-60 days before the departure date, but this can change depending on your route.
Different holidays can also impact how early you should buy your tickets. For instance, if you travel domestically in the US for Thanksgiving, flights are cheapest 36-74 days before the flight, but are at their lowest 52 days prior.
Similarly, if you want to travel to see your family for Christmas, then aim to buy the tickets 22 days before you travel, since that’s when they're the cheapest — they're usually more affordable 20-88 days before the date you wish to travel, according to Google.
Want to go on an incredible trip with your friend for spring break? Start booking your flights 23-59 days ahead, but keep your eyes peeled on flights 38 days before you depart.
Summer break also has a similar pattern. For trips in July and August, the prices are lowest 14-44 days before, and the cheapest way to book your flight is 21 days before the departure date, Google says.
When it comes to booking a Europe flight, try booking 50 to 179 days out — the sweet spot for cheap tickets is 129 days in advance for the best possible deal.
Want to head to Mexico, or venture to the Caribbean? Start looking for tickets as early as 87 days before your trip and as late as 37 days ahead, but for the lowest price, look for tickets 59 days before travelling.
Keep your price tracker turned on
Select your destination of choice and turn on your price tracker so Google Flights can send you an update each time the prices of the tickets you’re eyeing drop.
If you don’t care what dates you fly on, then Google also recommends selecting “any dates” to get notified if prices drop for the same flights departing in the next 3 to 6 months.
Use the calendar view
Selecting the calendar view on Google Flights shows you all the other flights departing for the rest of the month, and can be a valuable tool to see what other days might be cheaper to fly on.
Google Just Revealed The Cheapest Days To Fly & Exactly When To Book To Get A Flight Deal
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