Whether you're heading to the tropical reaches of Mesoamerica, the icy swathes of Canada to the north, the romantic cobblestone towns of Europe, the curious cityscapes of Asia in the east, or the alluring backcountry of wild Africa, this breakdown of the most important points to remember when booking international flights from the United States is a must read. It's been put together using Hopper's unique research methodology, which collates millions of pieces of data related to flights departing out of American airports from right across the internet, to identify things like the cheapest departure dates, booking times, return days and plenty, plenty more. So read on if you'd like to learn the cheapest times to book an international flight.
Download Hopper's new mobile app to set up fare alerts and get the cheapest available flights! Now available on iOS and Android.
The Cheapest Day to Buy an International Flight is on a Thursday
Believe it or not, the day on which you search for and book your international flight has a direct effect on the overall price of the ticket. By crunching millions of pieces of data related to flight searches made for departures from airports within the United States, we've discovered that Thursdays are actually the cheapest time to seek out your seats — which is great news for those people who find themselves too busy to go scouring the internet for bargains over the weekend!
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The Cheapest Day to Fly Internationally is on a Tuesday or Wednesday
This one's great news for anyone eager to excuse themselves from the second half of the week in the office for a jaunt through the sands of the Caribbean, the jungles of Latin America, or whatever other action-packed international destinations come to mind. Indeed, our statistics have shown that fliers who departed from the United States on a Tuesday or a Wednesday tended to pay less on average for their flight tickets than travelers leaving home on any other day of the week.
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The Cheapest Day to Return from your International Trip is on a Wednesday
And when it comes to returns, the midweek continues to reign supreme, with Wednesday flights back into the United States coming in as the cheapest option overall for international travelers. Granted that may not be the best news for package holidaymakers or families looking to make the most of Saturday-to-Saturday changeovers, but it does mean avoiding the biggest crowds at the airport and allows for plenty of creativity when it comes to trip planning.
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The Cheapest Time to Book an International Flight is at Least 25 Days in Advance
Booking early is among the most ubiquitous pieces of advice any airline expert can give and budget-conscious travelers would do well to take heed too, because we've discovered than by bagging a seat at least 25 days prior to takeoff, passengers can knock as much as $250 off from the total price of their ticket. That said, it's always worth checking booking stats for your specific route, because prime buying times can vary greatly, with some flights ebbing to a low as much as 100 days before departure!
The Cheapest Time to Fly Internationally is from February-March
Granted this one's a bit of a misnomer, because yearly price trends on international flights are typically dictated primarily by the high and low seasons of the destination abroad. However, it's interesting to note that the cheapest international flights for travelers in the United States fall outside of school vacation periods and major national holiday times, with the lowest fares coming in February and March and summertime seat prices swelling to a whopping average of $1,023!
Use Hopper's When to Fly and Buy Reports to See Information for Your Specific Route
If you're interested in seeing information on the prime booking times, departure dates, travel months and the like for a specific international route, then be sure to head over to Hopper's When to Fly and Buy Reports, which work hard to collate millions of pieces of data related to airfares on flights to a whole host of global destinations each month, to bring would-be fliers the most up-to-date and accurate findings possible.
Check out Hopper's Deals Page to see Flash Sales from Your Airport
Also worth a look-in is Hopper's all-new deals page, which is the go to place for bargain hunters who already know their departure airport and don't want to miss the best prices the American airline industry has to offer. Each day, the site updates with the hottest deals from across the web, including flash sales with reductions to the tune of 75% and otherwise unannounced offers with super-cheap seats that sell super-fast.
Download Hopper's New Mobile App to Get Fare Alerts
There's no better way to find the cheapest time to fly than with the Hopper app (we're pretty jazzed about it!). Here's how it works. Just download the new Hopper mobile app (available on iOS and Android) and search for a flight. We'll show you which dates offer the best deals and we'll offer predictions about how that price may change. Want to keep track of that flight? Set up a fare alert. We'll send you notifications when your flight price drops, so you know you're getting the best deal.
