The Best Time To Book Your International Flight

When To Buy Your Next Flight Abroad
International travel is on the rise more than two years into the pandemic and venturing out of the country can be costly if you don’t have a plan to book your flight within the sweet spot. Travel website CheapAir.com has examined close to a billion airfares across thousands of markets in every region around the world to reveal the most up-to-date, accurate data for travelers considering booking an international trip in 2022. Breaking it down by region, the team of data experts has revealed the prime booking window for purchasing your ticket, even narrowing it down to the ideal day to book in advance of takeoff. CheapAir also revealed the average airfare, the cheapest and most expensive months to fly and how seasonality impacts pricing in various parts of the world.

Canada
CheapAir found the prime booking window for Canada to be 3.5 months to 300 days from departure, with the best day to buy coming about 205 days out from your travel date. The average airfare for the country comes in at $363 and February and March are the cheapest months to fly. On the other end of the spectrum, August and December are the most expensive. Therefore, travelers will want to book summer and winter flights further out to save as much as possible.

Mexico
CheapAir highlights Mexico as one of the great value destinations in 2022 as the average airfare is roughly $80 less per ticket compared to last year ($459). The best time to book is one to 4.5 months from departure and the best day to purchase your ticket to Mexico is 70 days out from your travel date. January and February are the two cheapest months to fly to Mexico while August and December tend to be the priciest.

Caribbean
Average airfares to the Caribbean are also down considerably this year at $513 and the prime booking window was determined to be between one and 5 months of travel. Meanwhile, the best day to buy is about 75 days in advance of departure. Shoulder season (September and October) is the cheapest time to fly to the Caribbean islands while peak summer (July) and winter (December) are the most expensive. However, CheapAir found that it’s possible to get a good deal on summer flights within 30 days of departure.

Europe
Flight prices for Europe are harder to predict in 2022 but CheapAir found the average airfare to be about $992 and narrowed the prime booking window down to between one month and 6.5 months from departure. Booking just under three months or 79 days out is your best bet and October and November give you the best chance to save even more. Summer travelers will need a bit more luck though as May and June are poised to be the most expensive months to fly across the pond.

Africa
Like Europe, “Africa is also quite volatile in 2022,” according to CheapAir’s research. This year’s average airfare is $1,244 and the prime booking window falls between two and 10 months from departure, with the best day to buy arriving about 213 days out from travel. October and November are the cheapest months to fly to the continent while July and December will produce the most expensive tickets.

Asia
When it comes to booking Asia, where the average airfare is $1,514, the earlier the better as CheapAir puts the prime booking window for 2022 at 10 months or precisely 314 days from departure. Flying in the spring and fall will give travelers added flexibility as they can still find deals just eight months out. January and April are the cheapest months to fly to the continent. On the flip side, August and December are the two priciest times to fly.

Central America
Travelers targeting Central America in 2022 will want to purchase their ticket between two and five months from departure and ideally 88 days out from their scheduled travel. The average airfare comes in at $522. Springtime and the shoulder season months of September and October are the cheapest for the region this year while July and December are poised to do more damage to your budget. “Spring is the most affordable time to travel to Central America, with ticket prices running about $60 less than the other three seasons,” CheapAir notes.

South America
South America is a great bargain destination this year as airfares are almost $300 less on average than they were last year at $707. Booking between 1.5 months and 4.5 months from departure will give you the best shot at savings and CheapAir lists the best day to buy at about 79 days out from your travel date. Eyeing May or shoulder season (September and October) will allow you to stretch your budget further than the pricey months of July and December.

Middle East
The prime booking window for flights to the Middle East is a wide one ranging from just under two months to 10 months from departure but CheapAir puts the sweet spot at about 94 days out. The average aifare comes in just over $1,000 but October and November will likely net the most savings while July and December are the two most expensive times to visit.

Oceania
As countries like Australia and New Zealand reopen to foreign tourists, airfares to Oceania are on the rise, with average ticket prices climbing almost $700 from last year to $2,898. CheapAir points out that travelers will need to book their flight well in advance, between 9.5 months to 10 months from departure to capitalize on savings. The best day to buy is about 309 days out from your travel date. January and April are the cheapest months while October and November will prove the costliest.