When it comes to booking airline tickets, it's always a guessing game on when is the best time to buy -- until now.
Airport experts at CheapAir.com have some good news for you. They analyzed more than 560-million flights from last year to figure out how far in advance should consumers book to get the cheapest fare.
The answer: seven weeks before takeoff.
On average, fares bottomed out 49 days before the flight, then increased slightly, but remained steady until about a month out. After that, prices climbed as the travel date approached. Too much planning isn't good either, the highest fares came 200 days out of just 11 days or less before your flight.
For international flights, the lowest prices came 11 to 12 weeks in advance.
As for peak travel periods like Thanksgiving, the best time to buy was almost 14 weeks in advance.
Another interesting take away from the analysis: purchasing a ticket on a particular day of the week like Tuesdays or Wednesdays doesn't necessarily mean getting a cheaper ticket. Many airlines announce sales on those days, but CheapAir.com says there isn't to offset any pattern.
