When is it better to buy air tickets

In this article, we are trying to figure out when to buy airline tickets. Some experts argue that it is better to do it for 45 days before the trip, others - that for 54 days. Let's find out who is right.

60, 45 or 15 - the specialists on tourism do not cease to argue that it is better to buy tickets.

Another study conducted a major tour CheapAir. His staff in 2013 and analyzed more than 4 million flights. At the same time, they monitored the price of tickets since they went on sale (330 days) and up to the date of the flight. What kind of "magic" figure they got? Now we learn.

At the last moment

Many air travelers tend to think that the cheapest tickets you can snatch a few hours before the flight. But practice shows that this is not the case.

CheapAir study shows that the highest price on flights, as a rule, is set on the eve of departure. In second place in the hit parade of the most expensive tickets - three-day period prior to the flight. - the third four-day, on the fourth - five, etc... If you buy tickets in less than two weeks, you will almost certainly have to overpay. By the way, 36% CheapAir users buy tickets at the last moment.

54 days

According CheapAir, the optimal interval for booking airfare - 104–29 days before the trip. But the most "delicious" prices are observed for 54 days.

That is the "magic" figure revealed CheapAir experts. Over the 54 days prior to departure, as a rule, set the lowest prices on tickets for domestic flights.

But should take into account factors such as the direction and seasonality. Thus, the most popular destinations with a large passenger flow rates all the time are equally high. The same can be said about the cost of tickets in remote or hard-to-airport towns. It is also unlikely to be able to save by purchasing a ticket for 54 days in the popular vacation spot in the middle of the season. In this case, you should book tickets much earlier.

In addition, there are nuances in relation to international flights. The best time to buy a ticket from America:

• Europe - for 151 days prior to travel;
• Asia - for 129 days prior to the trip;
• Caribbean - for 101 days prior to travel;
• Mexico - for 89 days prior to travel;
• Latin America - 80 days before the trip.

45 days

Travel-editor of CBS News Peter Greenberg has its own idea of ​​the best airline reservation date. Layfhaker said that, according to Greenberg, watch X to buy plane tickets - 45 days prior to departure (for domestic flights) and 60 days prior to departure (for international).

This is explained by the fact that outside the 45-day window computer programs airlines can not calculate the actual cost of the ticket and its form, focusing on last year's passenger traffic. Booking airline tickets more than 45 days before the trip, there is a risk of overpaying for last year's forecasts.

Practice

"What is the use of the research focused on the US aviation market?" - asks the inquisitive reader.

Let's see whether the named relevant deadlines for domestic air travelers. To do this, we compare prices for the same flight (Moscow - Kazan), but with a different date of departure: the next day, 54 days and 45 days. To find tickets use the service AnyWayAnyDay.

results

Flight Moscow - Kazan, departure date - August 28, 2014. Economy class one adult.

Nine proposals direct. The cheapest ticket - 4886 rubles; the most expensive - 11 163 rubles.

And now the same flight, but 45 days prior to departure (10 October 2014):

Five proposals. The cheapest ticket - 2980 rubles, the most expensive - 5187 rubles.

Search for tickets to the October 19, 2014 (54 days before the trip) gave similar results:

The situation is repeated in other areas. Therefore, we can conclude that for 45 and 54 days prior to departure you can purchase cheap airline tickets, but at the last moment to postpone the purchase is not necessary.

Also check the optimality of the proposed purchase dates experts tickets to international destinations.

Flight Moscow - Paris on January 24, 2015 (151 days before departure - version CheapAir):

Six offers nonstop. The cheapest - 10 373 rubles.

Moscow - Paris on October 25, 2014 - 60 days before departure (version Greenberg)

10 direct flights, the cheapest of which costs 10,347 rubles. Almost the same result as with the purchase of 151 per day.

Finally, if you buy direct tickets the day before, they will cost 31,024 rubles.

Consequently, the findings CheapAir and Peter Greenberg reaffirmed.

And when you buy tickets?