Over 12m January Bookers May Miss out on Cheapest Flights, Reveals Skyscanner

Comprehensive data analysis by leading global travel search site Skyscanner has revealed that the 12.5 million Brits predicted to book their summer flights this month*, may not in fact be getting the best prices.

While many may believe the cheapest fares for summer destinations are offered in January, Skyscanner's analysis of nearly 200 million searches shows that the cheapest flight tickets are in fact typically available five weeks in advance of travel.

However the study also shows that price patterns can vary significantly between scheduled and budget airlines and between short and long haul travel and is therefore very much destination dependent.

For instance, flights to Spain are at their cheapest just five weeks prior to departure; while holidaymakers booking flights to USA around four months (21 weeks) before departure stand the best chance of getting the cheapest fares, likely to be more than £120 cheaper than if they book during the week of departure.

Customers looking to book flight to Turkey should be able to find the cheapest prices 13 weeks in advance, while the best prices for flights to neighbouring Greece are more likely to be found just three weeks in advance, and represent a saving of 16% on flights booked with a 16 weeks lead time.

The Skyscanner study follows research** that found that 80% of travellers admitted they did not know, or were not sure, when the optimum time for booking flights was, while a further 79% wouldn't know on first glance if a flight price offered good value.

The Skyscanner research therefore also looked at the average August flight prices across the top ten summer destinations to give British holidaymakers a clearer idea of what prices to expect to pay and when a good deal is on offer. Average prices range from around £150 - £160 to Spain and France, while further afield Turkey and Cyprus flights cost around £250 and the US is almost £800.

SOURCE: BUSINESS WIRE