Expedia Travel Predictions 2016, Best Day to Buy Tickets..
When to Purchase Airline Tickets – Finding the Sweet Spot on the Calendar
After analyzing terabytes of flight data from more than 10 billion passenger flights to determine the biggest potential savings for tickets prices based on advanced purchase, Expedia and ARC determined that the best time to buy an economy ticket for travel within North America is roughly 57 days in advance, yielding a potential savings of about 10 percent versus the average fare. Optimal lead times for tickets from North America to international destinations are longer:
Optimal Booking Times
- North America to Europe: 176 days in advance, for savings of 11 percent
- North America to Caribbean: 77 days in advance, for savings of 5 percent
- North America to Asia-Pacific: 160 days in advance, for savings of 13 percent
- North America to the Middle East and Africa: 144 days in advance, for savings of 24 percent
- North America to South America: 90 days in advance, for savings of 10 percent
For European travelers, the best time to buy an economy ticket for another destination within Europe is 140 days in advance as the average fare booked at more than 140 days was $156.41 compared to an average fare of $175.69 for fares booked between zero and 180 days in advance.
When to Purchase Airline Tickets – Is Tuesday Still the Best?
While advance purchase is a key aspect for determining when travelers should buy a ticket, it is not the only factor to consider. For years, travelers and industry experts have wondered which day yields the best savings. In previous reports, Expedia® and ARC have suggested that Tuesday is the best day, by a small margin. Looking at 2016 and based upon 2015 data, Expedia and ARC found that on average, weekends provide an opportunity to find great deals, with Tuesday still close behind.
There are general caveats to consider when searching for the best flight deals. For example, most analyses will show low air ticket prices on weekend days because these are the days on which most leisure travelers purchase tickets. Business travel, on the other hand, is most often purchased during the week and has a higher air ticket price on average. Given this information, and accounting for a rapidly changing market for airline fares, Expedia and ARC advise that travelers who find a fare that looks like a great deal to purchase it, regardless of the day of week.
Did you know? Expedia Brands:
- Hotels.com®, the hotel specialist that offers Hotels.com® Rewards and Secret Prices through its mobile booking apps and localized websites in more than 65 countries
- Hotwire®, a leading discount travel site that offers Hot Rate® Hotels, Hot Rate® Cars, as well as airfares and vacation packages
- Orbitz Worldwide, a global travel portfolio including Orbitz, ebookers, HotelClub and CheapTickets, brands and business-to-business offerings, including Orbitz Partner Network and Orbitz for Business
- Travelocity®, a pioneer in online travel and a leading online travel brand in the US and Canada
- Egencia®, a leading corporate travel management company
- Venere.com™, an online hotel reservation specialist in Europe
- trivago®, a leading online hotel search with sites in 52 countries worldwide
- Wotif Group, a leading portfolio of travel brands, including Wotif.com®, Wotif.co.nz, lastminute.com.au®, lastminute.com.nz andtravel.com.au®
- Expedia Local Expert®, a provider of online and in-market concierge services, activities, experiences and ground transportation in hundreds of destinations worldwide
- Classic Vacations®, a top luxury travel specialist
- Expedia® CruiseShipCenters®, a provider of exceptional value and expert advice for travelers booking cruises and vacations through its network of 200 retail travel agency franchises across North America
- CarRentals.com™, the premier car rental booking company on the web
