Last weekend we shared the results of CheapAir.com‘s 2018 Airfare study. In the study it looked at 917 million different airfares and made some determinations on when the “right” time to buy is if you want to get a good deal.
Editor’s note: Yes, these are the results that come from a study based in the USA. The findings are still cool and the window for booking is pretty wide, which is generally what we find when we departing from Australia, too.
Last week it released the results with some specifics for domestic flights, and this week it released the specialised results for international travel.
The number of airfares looked at for this study is significantly smaller than what the site used for the domestic results. While the whole study looked at 917 million fares, the site only had a million international fares to look at. That’s to say that while this info is probably a good resource, your mileage may vary a bit with these results.
The site also broke things down by where you’re flying for this one. The prime booking window changes depending on your country of choice (and remember they are giving you an average!), as does the cheapest and most expensive time to fly there.
Here’s a rundown of some of what they found, and you can check out the full study (with more destinations) here. For the purpose of this info, all flights are originating from the United States.
Canada
For Canada, the site recommends booking your travel 3 weeks to 5 months from departure, with the best time to buy averaging 66 days from your travel date. The cheapest month to travel to the country is in October and the most expensive time in July.
Mexico/Central America
If you want to go to Mexico, it’s best to book your tickets between 2 weeks and 6 months before your departure, with the “best” time to buy coming in at 70 days before your travel date. The cheapest month to fly to the area is September and the most expensive in December.
Caribbean
The best time to book a ticket to the Caribbean is 1 month to 11 months before your departure, with the sweet spot coming in at 207 (!!) days before your travel date. The cheapest month to travel is in January, and the most expensive is in December.
Europe
If you want to travel to Europe, the best time to book your ticket is between 1.5 month and 8 months from your travel date, with the “best” time coming in at 160 days before you want to fly. The cheapest month to travel is March, while the most expensive one is July.
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