Experience has taught us that buying in advance can save us a lot of money. Buying the tickets for a music festival in advance, pre-ordering video games or booking a package holiday for that summer in January can actually mean getting a much better price. Encouraged by these facts, we often seek a chance to pay less. Buying a plane ticket on the day of the flight can cost you a little fortune. That is why we often tend to book our flights well in advance. Believe it or not, in some cases, that can cost us the same amount of money that we would pay on the day of the flight, if not even more. Booking a flight from the US to Asia, South America or Africa can cost you much more if you book it in advance. However, when flying from US to Europe, booking a flight in advance is always cheaper than buying a ticket on departure day.
Range of fluctuation
If you think that booking your flight a year in advance is the lowest price you can get, think again. According to some surveys, the average price for a flight from the US to Europe differs by $256 from the first day the company offers the ticket to the day of the departure. So, when is the best time to book your cheap flight? If you are planning to fly from the US to Europe, this is what you should know: the price of the ticket on the first day of the offer is, on average, cheaper than the price on the day of the flight. This basically means that you will get a better price if you book your flight 350 days before the departure.
But… this price is far from the cheapest and booking your cheapest flight is all about timing.
When is the best time to book a cheap flight from the US to Europe?
Due to the fact that every flight from the US to Europe will cost you less if booked in advance, you must be patient and wait for the best possible offer. That offer, according to certain surveys, will come 53 days before the departure. So if you booked the ticket on the first day it was offered, you would pay, on average, 15% more than the cheapest price. Let’s say that the airfare on the first day of offer is $1200. Every next day until the last week, this price will be lower than $1200. However, this doesn’t mean that the price of the ticket will decrease every next day. For example, 250 days before departure, the price will be less than $1100, 125 days before the day of the flight, the airfare will be more than $1100 but less than the first offer of $1200. 53 days before departure, the price is the cheapest and it will cost less than $1050. Every next offer will be higher from $1050 and on the last seven days, the airfare will increase each day. On departure day, the cost will be around $1300.
Airfare discounts
Another way to get cheaper airfares are discounts. Some of these discounts are provided by air companies through loyalty cards. The more you are using the services of one Airline Company, the bigger the discount. Usually, these discounts are earned by the miles you traveled with them. There are more perks that you can gain with loyalty cards than just discounts – no waiting in the lines, more room for your bag, better seats, and various other offers.
Travel like a pro
People usually think that traveling to far-off destinations is a trip that requires carrying too much baggage. You can save money by traveling like a pro however and bring only the necessary items. Find the perfect messenger bag which can carry your laptop, documents, personal items and other necessities. Dress in comfortable clothes, bring your headphones and enjoy your flight.
Book your flight on time, chose a company, get their loyalty card, and enjoy your flight. Whether you are on a business trip or on holiday, have fun with your smart buy.
