The Best Time to Book Cheap Summer Flights
Whether you’re trying to find a cheap flight to go home at the end of the semester or planning for a summer trip, deciding when to buy your tickets can be tricky. We’ve got your back. Wanna get the cheapest tickets for summer flights? We’ve analyzed the past two years of data from our website to find you the trends so that you’ll always know the best time to book summer flights and find a good deal.
Cheap Summer Flights in the US
Like many students, the end of the semester brings not only the stress of finals and trying to pack up your entire dorm room, but also the stress of trying to find a cheap plane ticket home for summer break. The good news? Summer tickets for US travel usually have pretty steady pricing throughout spring and then actually tend to drop in price at the end of April. You know what that means: a little procrastination can really pay off for you here. Try to leave on Saturday-Tuesdays for the cheapest tickets. Friday is often the most expensive day to fly.
Traveling throughout the US this summer? Maybe you have an internship or some sweet Fourth of July plans. Wherever you’re headed, we’ve got cheap domestic flights for ya. US fares for summer travel tend to decline all spring. Just make sure you book before June if you can, as tickets tend to increase a lot in price after that point.
Takeaway: Book your ticket home from school sometime in April. Keep in mind that prices tend to starting jumping in price in May. For summer travel, book your ticket in late April or early May for best prices.
Cheap Summer Flights for Europe
Heading across the pond this summer? Whether it’s for a few weeks or the whole summer, we’re already jealous. But that’s okay, we’ll still tell you how to get the cheapest flights to Europe. For flights to Europe, it really pays to book in advance! Prices are at their lowest between January and March. Plan ahead and you can save literally hundreds of dollars!
Pro tip: you might be able to score an ever better deal by flying to Europe right after school ends. Departures in May are often cheaper than departures in June and July. Either way, you’ll want to book by late March or early April.
Takeaway: Book your summer flights to Europe towards the beginning of the spring semester, if possible. If not, you should be able to find good prices all throughout spring, but prices do tend to start rising once April hits.
Cheap Summer Flights for Asia
Looking for cheap flights to Asia for the summer? We’ve got you! After a long school year, you deserve a break this summer. Typically, flights to Asia start to rise in price around April. Don’t wait until the last minute to buy your tickets! Our best advice? Check your schedule for the semester and finals week as soon as you get it. Then try to book your tickets home between December and January or March, when they’re lowest.
Heading off to Asia for a vacation this summer? Planning ahead can save you a LOT of cash! Try to book tickets early in the year, in January or March, for the best deals.
Takeaway: Save the most on your flights to Asia by planning ahead! As soon as you get your schedule for your spring classes and finals, book your ticket home so that you can get the best deal.
FAQs
Should you only buy tickets on Tuesday? What’s the cheapest airline to fly with? How far in advance should you book your flights?
There’s a lot of general advice floating around the Internet, but not all of it applies to our website! StudentUniverse has exclusive contracts with airline partners which not only allows us to offer you special pricing, but also means our price trends will vary compared to other booking sites. For example, booking date and time don’t make a huge difference in pricing on StudentUniverse. Feel free to book on Tuesday morning, Friday at midnight or Sunday afternoon. We’ve got great prices all the time.
If you’re looking for the cheapest flights possible, our best advice is to start looking early and be flexible! We really can’t emphasize this enough! If you are flexible with what days you want to fly, or even with where you want to go, you are much more likely to get a good deal. In addition, if you start looking early, you’ll be able to see when a cheap flight comes up and buy it before it sells out.
Aim to buy your international tickets somewhere between 40-90 days in advance. It may also pay to book earlier if you’re traveling during a peak period, like going to Europe in July.
Now that you know the best time to book summer flights, why not start looking for deals on those flights you’ve been eyeing?
