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Best time to book flights - When is best time from UK for cheap prices
The best time to book flights has been revealed in new research giving hope to travellers trying to find cheap holidays.
Booking flights can often feel like a gamble - are you better off delaying your purchase and risk the price increasing, or booking early and risk missing out on last minute deals?
So when is the best time to book flights from the UK? According to data, it depends whether you're travelling short haul or long haul, and where you're headed.
Best time to book flights
Best time to book flights UK
Best time to book flights to Australia
Best time to book flights to Canada
Best time to book flights to Europe
Best time to book flights to USA
Best time to book flights to India
How many Avios points for a flight
How to cancel easyJet flight
Can you cancel Ryanair flights?
How to find cheap flights
What is a redeye flight?
Best time to book flights
Finding a cheap flight is more than just booking out of season. The day of the week you search for a flight, and even the time of day you book can have an impact on prices, according to analysis of thousands of bookings made through Opodo.
The travel agency found similar patterns for long haul and short haul when analysing bookings through 2024, although some countries were more extreme than others!
Overall, their findings suggest that for:
- Short haul flights (e.g. Europe) – book 31-60 days in advance.
- Long haul flights (e.g. USA, Australia) – book between 16 and 60 days ahead of departure depending on destination. For shorter long haul trips like the USA, 16-30 days often leads to the best prices. But for places further afield like Australia and New Zealand, 31-60 days before is better.
Like we say, there are still some exceptions to the rules, for example, the cheapest time to book a (long haul) flight to Costa Rica is 1-15 days in advance, with prices on average £238 cheaper than if purchased 31-60 days ahead.
So read below for more information on specific countries and carriers.
Read more: 5 tips for finding cheap flights
Best time to book flights UK
For domestic flights within the UK – such as London to Edinburgh or Manchester to Belfast, aim to book around four to eight weeks in advance, and avoid peak business travel times like Monday mornings or Friday evenings.
Budget airlines tend to release their schedules in batches, so booking shortly after release can snag you the lowest fares.
Best time to book flights to Australia
Flights to Australia fall under long haul, so the best time to book is one to two months in advance. If you're travelling during peak holiday seasons (December–January or UK summer), consider booking even earlier - up to six months - to get better prices and flight options.
31-60 days in advance can yield tickets about £200 cheaper than if you were to wait 16-30 days before your travel date.
Wednesday is the best day of the week to click 'pay', according to Opodo data. And 4am is the cheapest time of day to book with prices as low as £438.
That bargain price may be slightly misleading though, as Opodo found the average cost of a flight to Australia was £1,175, when booking on the cheapest day of the week which was Wednesday.
If you're thinking about a trip Down Under, check out our information on Avios points below, which may help you save big on flights.
Best time to book flights to Canada
Canada is another long haul destination and it's worth booking about 16-30 days ahead of departure.
When looking across all long haul destinations, 4am is the cheapest time of day to book a long haul flight, Opodo found.
But for both North and South America, 6am was actually the best time of day to book. Either way, setting an alarm sounds like the best bet to find the cheapest deal.
Popular routes like London to Toronto or Vancouver tend to fill up quickly in summer and autumn, so act fast if you're planning a trip during those times.
Best time to book flights to Europe
European destinations like Spain, France, Italy and Greece are classed as short haul so booking between 31 and 60 days in advance is the best time to get the cheapest prices. Last minute bookings to Europe will usually see prices rise.
The cheapest time of day is between 2am and 5am. Opodo's research shows exact timings for some popular European destinations, but generally it's much cheaper to book in the middle of the night compared to lunchtime.
And, as most are already well aware - avoid booking in school holidays or around public holidays too when prices surge due to high demand.
Best time to book flights to USA
Sunday is the best day of the week to buy flights to the USA. It's a long-haul destination and the cheapest prices will be 16-30 days before departure.
Consider flying midweek or into nearby cities (like Newark instead of JFK in New York) for more savings.
Read more: How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost UK?
Best time to book flights to India
As India is a long haul destination from the UK, it's best to look to book up to 60 days in advance.
The best time of day is 7am, where prices were £591 compared to £784 when bought just an hour earlier on the Opodo website! And Friday is the day to find the cheapest deals according to Opodo.
How many Avios points for a flight
Avios points are available to save by spending on certain credit cards, and can be exchanged for flights, hotels, car hire and holiday experiences. Participating airlines are British Airways or Iberia, Aer Lingus, and any other OneWorld partner flights.
Using Avios points to book your trip can see you make huge savings, including on upgrades, and you can also use them to fund part of your fare, and pay the difference in cash.
The number of Avios points you need for a flight depends on your destination, cabin class, and whether you're flying off-peak or peak.
As a rough guide:
- UK to Europe – from 9,250 Avios + £1 fees
- UK to New York (Economy) – from 25,000 Avios + £50 fees
- UK to Sydney – from 50,000 Avios + £150 fees
Using your points during off-peak travel and being flexible with dates helps maximise value. You can check how many Avios you’ll need on the British Airways Avios website.
Read more: Best Airline Miles Credit Cards of 2023
How to cancel easyJet flight
easyJet flights can be cancelled online via the Manage Bookings section, but refunds depend on timing:
- Within 24 hours of booking – full refund minus a cancellation fee.
- After 24 hours – no refund, but you can change the flight date for a fee, plus any fare difference.
If you have travel insurance or booked with a flexible fare, check if you're covered for cancellation costs.
Can you cancel Ryanair flights?
Ryanair doesn’t allow standard cancellations for a refund. However you can change your flight up to 2.5 hours before departure. Fees do apply.
Refunds are only given in limited cases, such as flight cancellation by Ryanair or bereavement (with documentation).
Your travel insurance may cover you for cancelling your flight. If your policy has cancellation cover, eligible reasons usually include redundancy, bereavement, medical emergency or treatment, or if an emergency means your home becomes uninhabitable.
You can read more about what is and isn't covered under cancellation cover on your travel insurance here.
How to find cheap flights
It's no secret that the cost of flights has soared in recent years due to inflation, fuel and energy price surges, increased demand and more recently the rise in National Insurance contributions for employers.
So travellers are having to work harder to find cheap flights to their chosen destinations.
We have a whole article on how to find cheap flights, including some really useful websites that do a lot of the hard work for you. You can read it here: 5 tips for finding cheap flights.
A few tips for finding cheap flights from the UK:
- Consider 'open jaw' or 'hidden city' bookings (we explain these: here)
- Use a credit card linked to airline points. (We also have a list of the best reward credit cards for travel here).
- Be flexible with dates and airports
- Use flight comparison sites like Skyscanner, Google Flights or Opodo
- Set price alerts for your route
- Book in the 'sweet spot' window - most often this is one to two months before your flight, but some 'shorter' long hauls offer cheaper prices 16-30 days before departure.
- Avoid school holidays and weekends
- Fly midweek for the best prices
What is a redeye flight?
A redeye flight is an overnight flight that departs late in the evening and arrives the next morning – common on long haul routes like UK to USA or UK to Asia.
They're called “redeye” because passengers often arrive tired with red eyes due to lack of sleep. The upside? They’re usually cheaper, and you save on accommodation for that night.
Business travellers often prefer redeyes as they maximise working hours. Plus sometimes, they can actually help with jetlag, depending on the time difference of the places you're travelling between.
Read more: