If you have ever watched a fare bounce up and down like a yo‑yo, you know how confusing flight prices can feel. Working out the best time to book flights sometimes seems more like guesswork than planning.
The good news is that prices do follow patterns. They are not perfect, and there are always odd spikes, but certain booking windows tend to be cheaper for most routes. Once you know roughly when to buy, the whole process feels a lot calmer.
This guide walks through a practical month‑by‑month view for 2025, with simple rules you can reuse every year. Think of it as a friendly planner for your future trips, whether you are chasing a bargain weekend away or a big long‑haul adventure.
The Short Answer: Typical Booking Windows
Let us start with the broad rules before we zoom into each month.
For most economy tickets:
- Domestic or short‑haul flights
Often cheapest about 1 to 3 months before departure. - Long‑haul or international flights
Often best around 2 to 6 months before departure.
Analysis from tools like Skyscanner’s best time to book savings generator and independent fare trackers backs up this general window. You do not need to memorise exact dates, just keep these ranges in your head.
Premium cabins and very busy dates, such as school holidays and Christmas, tend to reward booking earlier, sometimes closer to 6 to 10 months out.
The other golden rule is simple: flexibility beats everything. A flexible day, airport, or routing will often save more than perfect timing.
How Airlines Think About Prices (In Plain English)
Airlines do not set a single price. They sell the same seat in different “fare buckets”, a bit like theatre tickets in different rows.
- At the start, some cheap buckets open.
- As seats sell, the cheap ones close and prices climb.
- If a flight is not selling well, some cheaper buckets may reappear.
This is why prices can jump in a day, then dip again later. You are not doing anything wrong, the system is just designed to react to demand.
Seasonal demand also matters. A random Tuesday in March behaves very differently from the Friday before Christmas. That is where a month‑by‑month guide helps you line things up.
Month‑by‑Month: The Best Time to Book Flights
Use this section as a planning map. Imagine you are standing in each month of 2025 and thinking ahead 3 to 12 months.
January: Plan Your Summer and Autumn
January is when many people start dreaming about sunshine while it is still dark outside. Airlines often push sales, but not every “sale” is a bargain.
Good bets in January:
- European summer trips from June to August, book 5 to 7 months ahead.
- Long‑haul summer holidays (North America, Asia), book 6 to 8 months ahead, especially if you have fixed school holiday dates.
If you are eyeing Christmas or New Year 2025, January is a good time to start tracking prices and set alerts.
February: Lock In Easter and Late Summer
By February, Easter and May bank holiday flights are already under pressure.
- For Easter and early May, you are in the last useful month to grab something half‑reasonable on busy routes.
- For late summer trips, the 4 to 6 month window is opening.
This is a good month to compare different airports. A small change, such as flying home on a Tuesday rather than Sunday, can still make a notable difference.
March: Sweet Spot for Late Spring and Early Summer
March often feels like the calm before peak travel hits.
- For European city breaks in May and June, you are in the ideal 1 to 3 month window.
- For long‑haul July and August trips, prices are already creeping up, but you may still catch good fares about 3 to 5 months ahead.
Check flexible date calendars on flight search tools and shift by one or two days to spot easy savings.
April: Last Chance for Early Summer Deals
By April, the cheaper buckets for summer are slowly vanishing.
- For June trips, this is often the final month for decent short‑haul fares.
- For July and August, expect higher prices already, especially weekends and school holidays.
If you can travel just before or just after peak weeks, such as early June or early September, your money will stretch much further.
May: Focus on Autumn and Shoulder Season
May is a popular travel month itself, so last‑minute deals for May are hit and miss. It is a better time to plan a step ahead.
- European trips for September and October often price well when bought in May or June, roughly 4 to 5 months out.
- Long‑haul autumn holidays, like October half term, are starting to firm up; watch fares and be ready to buy if they dip.
This is where patience helps. Fare alerts and price trackers can keep an eye on specific routes while you get on with life.
June: Prime Time for Autumn and Early Winter
June tends to be a sweet spot for those who prefer the quieter shoulder season.
- Book September and October trips now for some of the best value, especially city breaks and Mediterranean sunshine.
- For November travel, you have a comfortable 4 to 5 month runway.
If you like data, you can cross‑check what you see with guides such as The Points Guy’s overview of best times to book flights, which often suggests similar windows.
July: Think Beyond Peak Summer
July can be painful if you are buying last minute for August, especially on school holiday routes. If you can move dates, even by a few days, do it.
Better targets in July:
- Book October and November trips, especially city breaks and long weekends.
- Start tracking Christmas and New Year if you have not already, as popular long‑haul routes can spike early.
For premium cabins around Christmas, booking from July onward is often safer than waiting.
August: Start Planning Your Next Year
In August, most people focus on trips they have already booked. That can work in your favour if you are willing to think ahead.
- For January and February 2026 winter sun, start checking routes now, about 4 to 6 months out.
- For short‑haul Christmas markets or festive breaks, this is a handy time to set alerts.
Some airlines publish new tickets in batches. MoneySavingExpert has a useful overview of flight ticket release dates if you like to pounce as soon as new seats appear.
September: Excellent Month for Winter Bargains
Once summer holidays end, demand dips for a while. This is one of the best months for value.
- Book November and early December city breaks, often within the 2 to 3 month sweet spot.
- Lock in January and February long‑haul escapes while there is still good choice in routes and timings.
Historic data from sites like Skyscanner’s cheapest day to book analysis suggests midweek can sometimes offer lower fares, but the bigger savings usually come from picking off‑peak dates rather than chasing a specific weekday.
October: Focus on Winter and Early Spring
October is practical rather than glamorous, at least for airfares.
- Winter sun in January and February sits nicely in the 3 to 4 month window.
- March and early April trips, including some Easter dates, start coming into range.
If you know you have to travel on very fixed days, such as a wedding or important work trip, lean towards booking on the earlier side of the window.
November: Last Minute for Christmas, Early for Spring
By November, Christmas is close. For many routes, what you see is what you get.
- For mid‑December to early January peak dates, prices are often high and only climb further.
- For March and April, especially outside Easter, this can be a good time to pounce.
If Christmas prices look painful and your plans are flexible, consider flying on the day itself or shifting to quieter days immediately before or after the main holiday.
December: Look Ahead, Not Just Around You
December is busy, emotional, and not always kind to your wallet. Try to think past your current trip.
- Look at April and May trips, especially late spring city breaks, about 4 to 5 months out.
- Start dreaming about next summer. You do not have to buy yet, but watching fares now will help you spot a genuine deal later.
Use slow evenings to tidy up your travel plans for the coming year, rather than panic‑buying a flight at the last moment.
Extra Tactics To Get The Best Price
Knowing the best time to book flights is only half the story. A few simple habits can save a surprising amount.
- Use flexible calendars
Search tools with full month views show how a one‑day shift can cut the fare by a large chunk. - Set fare alerts
Let price trackers watch a route for you. When the fare drops into your target range, you book. - Search from nearby airports
A different London or regional airport can change the price, tax, and time of day options. - Travel light when possible
A cheaper hand‑baggage‑only ticket plus a bit of planning often beats paying for bags on a “sale” fare.
If you enjoy more detailed analysis, the team at Jack’s Flight Club has a helpful guide on the best time to book cheap flights that digs into how far ahead they usually spot deals.
Common Mistakes That Cost You Money
A few traps catch many travellers:
- Waiting for a “better sale” when you are already in the ideal window for a busy route.
- Fixing the exact date and time first, then hoping for magic prices later.
- Ignoring school holiday calendars if you do not have children, then wondering why fares look brutal.
- Clearing cookies and switching devices but not changing your dates or airports, which rarely changes much.
It helps to decide a realistic target price range in advance. When your route hits that range, book it and move on, rather than checking every day and driving yourself mad.
Conclusion: Think Windows, Not Exact Dates
Flight prices will always have a mind of their own, but they are not pure chaos. Once you know the usual booking windows, the best time to book flights stops feeling like a secret code and starts feeling more like a simple habit.
Plan roughly 1 to 3 months ahead for many short‑haul trips, and 2 to 6 months for most long‑haul journeys. Layer in flexibility on dates and airports, use alerts, and stay calm when prices wobble for a day or two.
Next time you open a flight search, try looking at the month view, not just the single day you first had in mind. You might find that a tiny shift in timing turns an expensive idea into a very comfortable deal.
