We all love to travel, to visit new and exciting places and have a fun and memorable time. But, those flight ticket rates might give a slight shock while you are booking. Be it a business trip or a leisure one, getting the cheapest possible rate for your flight ticket is next to impossible.
Hang on! I say hang on… The reason being… Skyscanner, the leading global travel search engine has come up with an answer to the question ‘When is the best time to book flight tickets’.
Skyscanner has analysed two years’ worth of travel search data from over 60 million monthly users to answer the one questions that always puzzles travellers: when is the best time to book flights?
A recent survey of Indian travellers revealed 72% do not know when is the best time to book flights. Skyscanner’s survey further unveiled 69% of travellers incorrectly estimate the best airfares can be found less than 12 weeks before departure, when in fact the best deals are snapped up by travellers who plan in advance. Traveller’s eyeing up Bali for their summer trip can save up to 51% on flight tickets by booking 25 weeks in advance or risk paying 27% more than the average fare when they leave booking to the last minute.
The same trend appears for air fares to Indian traveller’s favourite summer destinations, traveller’s looking to vacation in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok can grab flights for 35% and 33% less than the average fare, respectively, when booking 24 weeks prior to departure.
Skyscanner recommends booking 24 weeks in advance for travellers venturing to Europe or the USA for their summer vacations for savings of 22% and 18%, respectively.
Skyscanner also reveals the most inexpensive months to travel to visit some of Indian travellers’ favourite locations. November is the cheapest month to travel to Bangkok when flights 10% cheaper than the average fare, while visa-friendly Bali can be best enjoyed in April with a 10% saving on the average fare.

Best Time To Book Flight Tickets – Skyscanner
Commenting on the findings, Reshmi Roy, Senior Growth Manager, Skyscanner India said,“We hope Skyscanner’s data can provide travellers with clarity on how and when to get the best deal on flights and what to expect if booking is left to the last minute. After reviewing flight prices from the last two years, we can clearly see that it pays to plan. Booking at the right time can make a huge difference to one’s expenditure on their trip, up to 51% in some cases.”
About Skyscanner:
- Skyscanner is a leading global travel search company, providing free search of flights, hotels and car hire around the world
- Founded in 2003, Skyscanner helps over 60 million people each month to find their travel options
- Skyscanner is available in 30 languages
- Skyscanner’s highly-rated free mobile app has been downloaded over 60 million times
- Skyscanner employs over 800 staff and has 10 offices across the world: Barcelona, Beijing, Budapest, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Miami, Shenzhen, Singapore and Sofia
- Skyscanner is part of the Ctrip Group
For more information, please visit https://www.skyscanner.co.in/bttb/best-time-to-book-in
A very helpful post Rohan.Will keep 24 weeks in mind.Skyscanner is very helpful
Thats a helpful post! I’ve been planning and booking for our travels for the last 5 years, and yes, booking in advance helps in maximizing your saving a lot! #soniaatpfcfollows
Super. Summer holidays the rates really soar , and if we know our travel plans before hand it helps. Non weekend travel and off season tours are cheaper too. Such a cool site. Thanks for sharing. #thefoodiereads
This information couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m planning a trip to Bali June 2018 so this information will help me save substantially on airfare so that I have more money to spend on my holiday! Thanks for this tip
Skyscanner has come as a relief for many travelers. The stats mentioned here are an eye opener.
I’ve already commented via my iPhone but apparently that doesn’t count for the MyFriend Alexa campaign conducted by Blogchatter.
So I am repeating my comment that this couldn’t have come at a better time as I’m planning a trip to Bali in June 2018. This saving in airfare will help me spend more on my holiday! Thanks for the tips.
Interesting statistics. Sometimes booking too early can also be a downside because u miss out on future offers
ANyways i’ll save this with me 🙂
Karthik Murali
That’s true as well.
Wow, that was innovative! Definitely implementing the next time I plan a vacation!
I am happy that you found the post interesting and valuable, Samarpita!
while it is true that booking in advance will reap you benefits in terms of low prices, sometimes it is just not possible. The indicative list is certainly useful. I never knew that 20-25 weeks is generally a good time to book tickets.
I am glad that you found the post worth your time.
True, it’s always best to plan in advance to get the best deal on flight tickets. We’ve booked for our November trip in July itself!
That is some good planning and it is necessary when it comes to travelling. Thank you for visiting my blog, Mahak. 🙂
Being a frequent traveller , every penny counts and destination search starts with the destination with lowest airfare .. This feature on Skyscanner is surely very useful
I am glad that you found the post worth your time, Chandresh.
Thanks for sharing the info on Skyscanner. I am going to bookmark it & would help in planning next trips 🙂
Glad that you found the post worth your time, Disha.
Hey! That’s a cool study. I’ve memorized the best time to book flight tickets for Goa!!! Now there’ll be one less excuse to postpone the trip. 🙂
Haha.. yes, there cannot me any further excuse to visit Goa. Thanks for dropping by, Diya.
Very informative post. I love travelling whenever I can and usually book in advance. We too are fans of skyscanner. Thanks for writing about it 🙂 ..
Regards
Neha (Sharing our experiences)
Thank you Neha for visiting my blog and commenting on the post. Yes, I recently used Skyscanner and it worked out well.
This is important information and an eye opener too. Proper planning can really help out so much. Thanks so much