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Finding the best deals on airfare and travel can be a real hassle.
With so many airlines, travel sites and booking options, finding the best flight for your budget is like a haystack.
Either you find the right flight, but wait too long to book, the price will soar, or the price seems to mysteriously drop whenever you are not on the computer.
Before you jump into the Delta (DAL -Get Report)or JetBlue (JBLU -Get Report)
Flights, make sure you book your flight at the cheapest time.
So, what is the best date to book a flight?
This street requires experts to consider booking flights for a holiday or business trip on the best day, time and season.
Ticket sites and consumers have long believed Tuesday was the cheapest day to book flights during the week.
But recent research and data shows something different.
Patrick Surry, chief data scientist at ticket forecasting site Hopper, said the best date to book a flight during the week was actually Thursday.
"Thursday is the best day to book international and domestic flights as this is the most market (e. g. JFK-SFO; SJC-LAX; BOS-LHR; etc. )
Surry told the street in a note.
"Potential domestic savings are 3 on Thursday.
About $ 4% or $10, international potential savings 3.
$ 5% or $25 or so if we get from a full-Day perspective.
Websites like Hopper orExpedia (EXPE -Get Report)
Get the best deal with data.
According to Surry, this scientific process can help you keep track of when prices for certain flights are going down.
"With apps like Hopper, it uses trillions of data points to tell you when to book the best deals," Surry said . ".
"When the price drops to the lowest forecast point, the app monitors your specific trip and sends you a notification.
"As a general guide, if you travel to a traditional business destination (i. e.
Washington, DC, New YorkC. )
Book at least three months in advance.
If your trip is to take you to a more traditional leisure placefocused (i. e. Hawaii, Cancun)
"Try booking at least one month in advance to make sure you don't overpay," Surry said . ".
However, experts at Expedia told the street that getting the cheapest flight might depend more on the day of departure --
Not the day you booked.
Expedia's Christie Hudson told TheStreet in a report: "For our 2018 air travel outlook reports, we analyzed flight data and found Thursday and Friday to be the cheapest day of travel
When booking a flight, be sure to check the price on the day of departure and on the day of booking to find the best deal.
Also, Expedia recommends you choose red-eye or non-
Direct flights to save money because they're not like-
Demand for direct flights.
For some time, research has shown that Tuesday could be the cheapest day to book a flight.
But the latest data dispelled the myth.
Hudson said: "In the past, travelers could find the best ticket prices on Tuesday, but as airlines turned to using computers to determine prices based on demand, it was no longer so easy to determine a specific purchase date or time.
"Our research shows that this is not about which day of the week you booked, but about the day you started your trip," Hudson said . ".
Although Thursday is the best day to book domestic and international flights, Hopper's Surry claims that Tuesday's specific time may be cheaper for certain flights.
"However, the best time to book a domestic flight is Tuesday midnight (
Potential savings of 6%, $18 on average)," Surry said.
So while the best dates for cheap flights to domestic and international locations are usually Thursday, make sure to check your options at midnight on Tuesday for comparison.
When it comes to domestic or international flights, experts seem to disagree slightly on the best date of booking.
For Expedia experts, both domestic and international flights are different from those of Hopper.
"Whether you book a domestic flight or an international flight, our research shows that Sunday is the cheapest day to book," Expedia claims . ".
However, according to a recent analysis of 2018 of the data, Surry claims to be somewhat different.
When the actual departure (
Put your departure date)
Hopper data scientists say Wednesday could be more cost-effective.
"This year, for example, most parts of Europe have started selling in the fall, round
"Travel prices in the United States fell by 47% from peak travel in June and July," Surry told TheStreet . ".
"Overall, the best departure dates for both domestic and international travel are Wednesday.
For domestic flights, you will see an average savings of $40 and an average of $60 for international flights.
"But, hopper says flights coming back from domestic travel are the cheapest on Tuesday, saving an average of $45, while returning from an international trip on Wednesday can save you up to $60.
Both Hopper and Expedia agree that in order to ensure maximum savings, you should usually book your flight one to three months in advance (
And peace of mind)-
During a golden holiday like June or July, even earlier.
According to experts, in order to get the best ticket price, the time you choose to book or fly is a key aspect of the process.
Seasonality will definitely affect pricing.
"Traveling during rush hours such as summer and holidays usually costs more than shoulder to shoulder or off-season," Expedia told TheStreet . ".
"For American tourists, February is the cheapest month for international fares, and December is the most expensive month.
The lowest domestic fare in September, the highest domestic fare in June.
"In addition, Expedia claims that the ticket industry has finally seized the retail sales loopholes and now offers cheaper flights on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
But how do you save on travel expenses other than one day of the year or one time?
"Another way to save on travel costs is to bundle travel.
One of the most underrated and misunderstood ways to save money on travel is to book flights and hotels at the same time, or rent a car and a hotel.
By doing so, you can save up to $600 on average.
This is because airlines and hotels are willing to stay for those who are less likely to cancel the trip and tend-
Destinations are longer, according to Expedia.
Still, Surrey claims that customers want the "golden rule" of finding cheap flights "--
This does not exist, he said.
Instead, he recommends using tools or apps like Hopper to inform you that the best time to buy a particular flight is-
Not only did it save money, but it also saved time.
But what other sites besides Hopper and Expedia can help you book your flights easily and cheaply?
Other notable sites include Airfarewatchdog, Google Flights, Hipmunk, Kayak, Pricelineand Skyscanner-according to this year's travel and leisure-to name a few.
Also, check out the best airline stocks here.