Best time to book a flight 2025

For shorter trips within the UK, 4:00 AM is the best time to book flights, offering significantly lower fares compared to later in the day.

Early morning is the cheapest time to book flights within Europe, particularly between 2:00 AM and 5:00 AM, with fares averaging £170–£194. In contrast, booking at 1:00 PM can push prices up to £227.

• 3:00 AM: Best for flights to France, Greece, and Portugal

• 4:00 AM: Cheapest for flights to Italy and Germany.

• 5:00 AM: Best fares for the Netherlands

• 6:00 AM: Best time to book flights to Spain and Cyprus

For travelers looking for how to find cheap flights on long-haul routes, timing is everything.

• Australia: The cheapest time to book is 4:00 AM (£438)

• New Zealand: 7:00 AM is the best hour, with fares at £640.

• India: Book at 7:00 AM (£591) instead of 6:00 AM (£784) for huge savings.

• The Americas: The best fares are at 6:00 AM (£211), compared to 7:00 PM when prices soar to £732.

There is no single magic hour for all routes, but knowing these cheapest booking hours can help you save big. So next time you are booking, remember—the clock might just be your ticket to the best deal!

For long-haul travel, booking flights in advance — specifically 16-30 days before departure — often results in the most affordable tickets. Flights booked within this time frame average £523, which is significantly cheaper than booking 91 or more days in advance, where prices average £650. This can mean a saving of around £127 per ticket.

For short-haul European flights, last-minute bookings can often be more expensive. In fact, for trips to popular destinations like Spain, the best deal is typically found by booking 31-60 days in advance (averaging £171). Waiting until the last minute (0-15 days before departure) increases the price to £205 on average.

For Oceania destinations like Australia and New Zealand, 31-60 days in advance is often the sweet spot, with an average price of £1,246. Waiting until 16-30 days pushes the price up to £1,401.

Not everyone wants to plan months ahead, and last-minute bookings can still offer good deals. For example, booking last-minute (0-15 days in advance) to Costa Rica averages £866, which is significantly cheaper than booking 31-60 days ahead, which costs £1,104, a £238 difference.

While booking months ahead can be beneficial for certain destinations, our data shows that booking 16-30 days in advance can often lead to the best prices, especially for long-haul trips. However, if you are flexible and prefer to wait, last-minute bookings can still save you money. One last reminder: Make sure you are flexible with your travel dates and destination.