The cheapest time to book flights

How far ahead should you book?

• Short-haul Europe: roughly 4–8 weeks before you fly tends to be the sweet spot.
• Long-haul: aim for 2–4 months ahead.
• Peak times (Christmas, summer holidays, big events): book even earlier — those fill up and only get dearer.

Leaving it to the last minute rarely pays off for leisure trips — those "last-minute deals" are mostly a myth these days.

Cheapest days to fly

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually the cheapest days to travel, along with early-morning and late-night flights. Fridays and Sundays are the most expensive. Flying out midweek and back midweek can save a surprising amount.

The single biggest saver: be flexible

Prices swing hugely day to day. If you can shift your trip by a day or two — or a week — you'll often find the same route far cheaper. Always check the days either side of your ideal dates.

More simple tricks

• Consider a connecting flight — a stop is frequently cheaper than flying direct.
• Check budget airlines (Ryanair, Wizz, easyJet in Europe) and travel cabin-bag only.
• Fly from (or to) a nearby airport — a cheaper airport an hour away can beat the convenient one.
• Travel off-season — shoulder months give you better weather-to-price ratios and far cheaper fares.

Let the AI do the digging

Tell our free AI travel agent where you want to go and it'll find the cheapest options — including budget airlines and connecting flights — so you don't have to check ten sites yourself.

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