Gain insight into booking the cheapest flights
Whether you are visiting a family or looking for an overseas escape, it is always a good feeling to save money on your vacation trip. And with Google Flights, there are plenty of different ways to find a lot on airline ticket, like the new AI-powered flight deals or long-term favorites such as price tracking alarms and Explore Map.
For many travelers, a big question is whether to book flights ASAP or wait to see if prices are falling. In fact, searches for “best time to book aircraft” reached a high highlight in the US this last summer. Usually it is best to book aircraft on the early side, especially if your plans are not very flexible. But if it is your first goal to score cheaper airline ticket, there are two ways you can use historical patterns to your advantage.
First, when you have a specific itinerary, Google Flights can tell you when prices are expected to be lowest to book your chosen dates and destination. Just look for the “cheapest time to book” insights under the best search results.
The second option is to consider the more generalized guidance of our 2025 insight on the best time to book, which we have just updated based on four years of total Google Flights data. For each scenario below, we show when average prices have been lowest for trips departing from US airports compared to the departure date.
- Domestic flights: The lowest prices have been 39 days before departure (23-51 days is the low price range).
- International flights: The lowest prices have been 49 days or more before departure. If you are traveling abroad, do not delay and book early!
- Thanksgiving: The lowest prices have been 35 days before departure (24-59 days is the low price range). If you want to fly just before or after Thanksgiving, you will probably find the cheapest options in October.
- Christmas: The lowest prices have been 51 days before departure (32-73 days is the low price range). So if you are planning to travel for Christmas, the best deals can usually be found when you book at any time mid -October to mid -November.
- Skip Break: The lowest prices for trips in March or April have been 43 days before departure (28-61 days is the low price range).
- Summer vacation: The lowest prices for trips in July or August have been 21 days before departure (14-43 days is the low price range).
- Tours to Europe: Like the general advice for international journeys, the lowest prices for trips to Europe have been 48 days or more Before departure, you probably didn’t have to wait for prices to fall.
- Trips to Mexico or the Caribbean: The lowest prices have been 50 days before departure (26-79 days is the low price range). Unlike Europe and the wider international trend, you may be able to save on trips to Mexico or the Caribbean if you book under the sweet place.
Want some more tips on how to save? It’s worth knowing that You don’t save much by booking on a specified weekday. Tuesday has been cheapest, but only 1.3% cheaper than Sunday, the most expensive day.
The cheapest days to travel is still Monday to Wednesday (about 13% cheaper than flying over the weekend). And finally, Taking a Layover helps you save About 22% on average against flying directly.