I spend a lot of my time umming and ahhhring about when to book flights for trips – none more so than this year so far, planning a summer trip around Japan, via Hong Kong.
They say that the best bit about a holiday is the journey, and for me that journey truly starts when the flights are booked – you’re not going until you pay up!
Whether to stick or switch, go for it or wait is a common conundrum among travellers browsing flights, especially when sticking to a budget.
A while back Skyscanner produced some stats about the best times to fly, including a somewhat limited selection of routes. It was interesting but didn’t have enough clout.
Momondo dazzle with pie charts and bright colours and I enjoy looking at their insights but the cost of flights they quote always seems steep – they show averages which skews perceptions. I’m flying to New York for £325 return, but Momondo quotes £790 as the cheapest average flight.
I really like Kayak but they haven’t really jumped on the stats bandwagon in the same way as Skyscanner.
So Skyscanner published their most recent update on the best times to flyon 24th January and it’s really handy!
There are far more locations to search than there ever have been (from Amman and Auckland to Seoul and Singapore) and a brand new interactive tool helps you better see at a glance the best weeks in advance to book AND the cheapest months to fly.
It’s based on two years of data and, while a few more years would increase the accuracy, is convincing enough for me that I’m not going to wait around any more – it’s time to book my flights to Hong Kong and Japan!
Bon voyage!
Kate on her travels 