Holiday seekers could save some money by knowing exactly when cheap flights come out. Flight prices are sky-high, even in the off-peak winter seasons. According to the Office for National Statistics, ticket prices rose by 44.% in 2022.
But online travel agencies and discount providers allow holiday seekers to have access to a whole range of prices and options, unlike traditional travel agencies.
Take a look at our guide to find out when to strike and get the lowest price for your getaway.
When is the best time to book flights?
A simple rule to get you started is to never wait until the last minute to book flights - aim to book anywhere from three to nine months in advance.
Airlines have different price groups for each seat. They use complex algorithms to estimate how many seats need to be sold on each route by a certain period in order for them to make the most profit.
The airlines move on to the higher price group if the target is met. But if seats don’t sell, they get knocked down until they reach the minimum amount.
You’d think that waiting on last-minute flights when airlines are desperate to sell seats would be the best game plan, but it’s actually the opposite. Last-minute fares can go way up in price to take advantage of business travellers and others who need to travel.
To find the best time to book your flight, you’ll first need to know if it’s a long or short-haul flight.
Short-haul flights tend to be more predictable. The best time to book a short-haul flight is actually anywhere from a few weeks to four months before the flight date. The price variations for short-haul flights are consistently competitive, especially for popular destinations.
Booking in advance is your best bet when searching for a long-haul flight - anywhere from 8 months to 6 weeks in advance will get you the lowest prices.
The best time to book Christmas and New Year’s holidays
Aim to start searching for flights two to three weeks before the holidays. For Christmas, the closer the holiday gets, the more prices climb. But for New Year’s Day, you’re more likely to see last-minute price drops, especially after Boxing Day. Another hack to cut costs even more is to try flying on the day of the holiday, such as Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.
Best time to book school holidays
If you’re looking to go away with the kids during half-term but don’t want to end up paying exorbitant prices, you’ll want to read on. Cheap flights for Easter and summer holidays pop up between November and February. But prices do fluctuate, so it’s worth monitoring your route to see when prices drop.
When do budget airlines release their cheap flights?
Here are the easyjet-ryanair-and-wizz-air-18790480/">key times to look out for flights from budget airlines like EasyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air.
EasyJet
EasyJet releases flights several times across the year, giving you ample opportunity to lock in those bargains. The most recent release was on March 9, 2023, when flights from December 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 were made available.
We can expect the next bout of flights to be released for the end of March 2024 onwards around mid-June, although no set date has been confirmed.
“EasyJet’s pricing is demand-based, so the more people buying, the higher the price goes - which means the early bird often catches the cheap worm... or flight,” Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis told holidaymakers.
“Could be 5am, 6am, could be 7am. The likelihood is, can’t guarantee it, but if you get there very early, you will get the prices very cheap.
“Every time it has worked before but I’m not guaranteeing it.”
Ryanair
There are no set flight release dates for Ryanair, which makes it a little harder to know when to start searching for new flights.
Currently, on Ryanair, you can book some routes up to the end of March 2024. But it’s advised to follow their website for updates.
WizzAir
Wizz Air flights do not have a set date for when they release their flight schedules, but typically they are released just under a year in advance.
A spokesperson for Wizz Air told Metro.co.uk: “Wizz Air announces new routes as and when they are added to the schedule. Passengers should keep an eye out on the Wizz Air website and their social media channels for the latest updates.”
