When Do Flight Prices Drop? Tips for Finding Cheap Flights

The answer requires a little bit of luck and strategic timing. You don’t have to be a travel expert to land the best deal.
Booking is like playing a game of cards. The stakes are high, and everyone’s trying to outsmart the dealer — Google Flight prices shuffle at every turn. One second, you think you have the winning hand with an unbeatable deal. Hesitate, and prices soar before you can make a move.
Everyone has a theory about when to find cheaper flights. Buy tickets on a Tuesday, purchase exactly at a certain time of day, or erase your cookies.
While luck plays a role, there’s some logic to securing the best prices. Carriers use algorithms to fluctuate prices and attract buyers depending on destination demand.
Let’s dive into the best tips and tricks so the next time you use Google Flights, you play your cards right.
The Best Time to Buy Plane Tickets
Carriers rely on algorithms to set airfare prices, and you don’t have to be a software engineer to crack the equation and find the best day to buy tickets. There’s plenty of data-driven information available to guide your search.
Here are some basic equations to help you land the best deal:
1. Seasonal Trends
Why are plane tickets so expensive during the summer and certain holidays? Airline ticket prices fluctuate based on basic supply and demand principles. If a ticket price seems unusually high, it’s likely lots of other customers want to travel on the same route — and seasonality plays a key role in demand.
Airfare tends to increase in the summer when kids are out of school and the weather is warmer. That’s why July and August are known as peak international travel and vacation season. Understanding this pattern can help you identify the most cost-effective travel dates of the year. According to data from CheapAir, winter is the cheapest time to travel (with the exception of holidays), followed by spring, summer, and fall.
2. Holidays
Airlines depend on big holidays to turn profits, which is why ticket prices tend to surge around Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. To maximize savings, consider traveling on less popular days surrounding the holiday dates. For example, rather than traveling on December 23rd, check options for December 20th or 21st before the massive crowds begin to fly home for the holidays.
3. Booking Windows
Timing is everything. Tickets often adjust pricing based on how far in advance it is. Generally, booking a roundtrip ticket a few months ahead of time can secure a better deal than waiting until the last minute.
This is often called the Goldilocks Window — the moment prices are “just right” because carriers want to encourage potential customers to buy up seats. Too far ahead, and there’s no incentive to lower prices; too close to the date, and they know they can charge more from desperate flyers.
4. Overall Volatility
The travel industry is as volatile as unexpected turbulence. Prices can fluctuate due to several external factors, like rising jet fuel costs, global inflation, and demand for domestic flights and international flights — all of which can happen at any time of year. Setting up price alerts on Google Flights can help you catch a dip in flight prices or decide to wait out an unusual price surge.
Is There a Best Day to Book?
Before the internet and complex algorithms, carriers used to manually upload deals. Nowadays, it’s all automated with advanced technologies. Even if your jet-setting travel partner is convinced Tuesday is the day to buy a ticket, there’s more than one way to book flights for a great deal.
Ticket prices are based on probability and fluctuate according to predictable booking windows and seasonal demands. The day of the week doesn’t greatly impact the price of tickets since travelers are unlikely to purchase on specific days.
However, the day of the week does impact the price. Fridays and Sundays, when people travel the most, garner the highest prices. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when people are typically at work, are when fares drop to their cheapest
Consider prioritizing nonstop flights when possible, especially if you value minimizing travel time and reducing stress.

Do Flights Get Cheaper Closer to the Date?
There’s a long-standing travel plan myth that tickets get cheaper as the departure date nears because airlines desperately lower the price to fill more seats. But last-minute fares tend to be the highest, especially on popular routes. While there’s a chance you catch a deal to upgrade your seat or find a last-minute discount, it’s a big (and potentially costly) gamble.
Booking a few months in advance is the better strategy for ensuring better rates and a window seat. It’s the sweet spot when carriers aim to fill planes and increase demand. And planning ahead makes for less stress — both for you and your credit card.
How Many Days in Advance Should You Book?
Carriers use predictable booking windows to set prices. These windows start nearly a year prior to departure up to the day of your trip, and hitting the right one can mean hundreds of dollars in potential savings. Here’s a quick guide:
Early Birds: 200–300+ Days Before Departure
Flights are released anywhere between 10–12 months before departure. However, it’s best to stay within the 7–10-month range to choose from many different options, especially for international trips.
Play It Safe: 150–199 Days Before Departure
Half a year before take-off still counts as early planning. While you won’t have the same number of open seats to choose from as the early birds, you’ll only pay a little more than the prime booking window, and you won’t sacrifice ample options.
Prime Time: 50–149 Days Before Departure
Fifty to one hundred and forty-nine days in advance is when you can find the lowest prices because carriers aim to fill the bulk of seats. If prices drop significantly, it’s during this sweet spot, so when you find good flight deals, it’s probably time to book.
Rising Tides: 14–49 Days Before Departure
Airfare usually rises as the best seats sell out. If you wait until this two-week to month-and-half booking window, you’ll likely pay more and get stuck with a middle seat.
You Better Book: 7–13 Days Before Departure
One to thirteen days in advance is a little cheaper than booking last minute. If you have to book close to takeoff, it’s better to gamble on this booking window than wait for a miracle deal the week of your trip.
Last Pick: 0–6 Days Days Before Departure
You have to buy this ticket, and the airline knows it. Airline prices can be hundreds of dollars more the week of departure. Always avoid booking last-minute tickets unless it’s an emergency or you’re a business traveler with a company credit card, sometimes airlines offer unexpected last-minute deals for unsold seats that can turn out to be a silver lining.
Average Prices in the U.S.
In April 2024, the average domestic ticket cost about $290 dollars. But remember, prices fluctuate for several reasons, like popularity and frequency — not just distance.
High-demand airports, like San Francisco, Dallas-Fort Worth, and JFK, exceed the national average, and less frequented regional airports like Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Burbank fall below. Smaller airports close to larger metropolitan areas (like San Bernadino instead of LAX or Fort Collins instead of Denver) also tend to have lower prices. But what you win in price deals, you lose in frequency of flights and full-service carriers.
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