Planning to get away for the coming Lunar New Year or for a summer holiday in an exotic Asian city? Then KAYAK.sg can show you when to book to get the best airfares to popular destinations (infographic below).
The travel search engine analysed over one billion flight searches to unveil to Singapore travellers the best time to book and travel to the top 10 destinations for 2016. The data showcases the best days of the week to travel, along with the best hour of the day to book to save considerably on flights.
Planning and booking trips to Asian cities
• Singaporeans aiming to visit popular Asian destinations should book two to three months in advance to save up to 56% on airfares. Denpasar (Bali) and Hong Kong are best booked two months prior to departure, with potential savings of over 40% when compared to the most expensive month to book.
• For other popular Asian cities travellers can find the best prices three months before the departure date. Tokyo and Taipei require the longest lead time, with prices dipping as low as S$185 to Taipei at five months out compared to S$499 in the most expensive month representing savings of up to 63%.
• On the days of the week to travel – depart on a Wednesday and return on a Tuesday to Hong Kong or Bangkok to secure the best deal on airfares. Travel to cities, such as Tokyo and Chennai, it is cheaper to depart and return on a Friday.
When to book and travel internationally
Timing of booking for different destinations impacts savings on airfares. (Image credit: scanrail/iStock)
• Singaporeans planning to visit popular longhaul destinations like Los Angeles or Paris need a lead time of up to six months before departure.
• For other popular international cities, such as Melbourne and London, it is best to book three to five months out. Adopting this strategy for London can save travellers up to 48% on their airfares, with flights at just S$1,001 rather than S$1,939 during the most expensive month.
• Travellers sticking to the recommendations for flights to Sydney and San Francisco can save up to 28% as compared to the most expensive month.
• Spontaneous trips to a Down Under destination such as Perth can be locked in relatively late – roughly two months in advance will secure average flight prices of S$324, as compared to S$470 in the most expensive month – to reap savings of up to 31%.
• Similar to travel within Asia, booking international flights to depart and return on the same weekday is often times the best way to save on airfare. For Zurich, Perth and Los Angeles it is most economical to depart and return on a Saturday.
• Contrary to popular belief, Sunday is the cheapest day to fly home from Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and London with the best outbound day varying according to destination.
Time of day matters when booking flights
While the number of months in advance and day of travel have been shown to significantly affect prices, the hour of day also comes into play. Overall, Singaporean travellers should book flights first thing in the morning at around 8 a.m. to save up to 34% on airfares, when compared to the most expensive hour to book.
Infographic of the travel trends
