What is the best time to book cheap flights?

Ready for an adventure? Discover the secrets to securing the best flight deals from India.

From vibrant London streets to beautiful Thailand beaches, your dream destination is waiting for you. Let Skyscanner be your guide to finding the best flight deals from India and securing budget-friendly tickets to the places you can’t wait to visit.

Master the art of international flight booking

The "best time" to book international flights from India varies depending on your destination, travel dates, and airline trends. Research shows that booking a few weeks or months in advance can help you secure the best deals.

Use Skyscanner’s Savings Generator tool to discover average monthly prices and identify the optimal booking window for your specific route and destination. It shows you potential costs and the best time to book for some of the most popular destinations from India as well as offering even cheaper alternatives that you (and your wallet) will love.

How to book cheap flight tickets with Skyscanner's toolkit

Whether you're browsing with us on your desktop or using our app, we can help you find the best prices for flights, hotels and car hire.

Find the cheapest week to fly

Finding cheap flights is easier if you can be flexible with your travel dates. Use our "Cheapest Month" tool to pinpoint the most budget-friendly month for your desired destination.

Embrace our Everywhere search

Open to adventure? Let Skyscanner's Everywhere search inspire you. When you search “Everywhere”, you’ll be provided with a list of amazing travel destinations sorted by price, so you can scroll through affordable flights until you find somewhere that inspires you. Results can be filtered further to meet your interests and requirements.

Set up Price Alerts

Timing is everything when it comes to booking a cheap flight from India. Activate Skyscanner’s Price Alerts for your chosen route and we'll notify you of price fluctuations. This way, you can secure the best deals with just a few clicks and visit your chosen destination on a budget.

Find the cheapest day to fly

If your travel dates are flexible, use our Whole Month search to reveal the cheapest day to fly to your destination. Simply look at the month (or months) you’re happy to fly and you’ll see a flight price highlighted for each day there’s a scheduled flight to your chosen destination.

Explore underrated destinations

Should you be undecided on where to visit, why not escape the crowds and discover hidden gems? Our Underrated Destinations filter unveils lesser-known alternatives to popular tourist spots, often at more affordable prices. Consider destinations like Vietnam, Cambodia, or Sri Lanka for a unique and budget-friendly experience to remember.

Multi-city magic

Maximise your international adventure with multi-city flights. See more destinations in one trip while potentially saving money compared to booking multiple one-way flights. Skyscanner makes it easy to plan your multi-city itinerary and make the most of your travels. Simply select ‘multi-city’ when searching for flights to see your options.

A hiker walks along a turquoise lake with mountains in the background.

Best time to book flights FAQs

How do airlines price tickets?

Flight prices fluctuate regularly depending on various factors. For example, an airline might reduce ticket prices for a flight that isn’t selling well to encourage people to fill empty seats. They may also increase prices as the departure date approaches to capitalise on last-minute bookers who have no choice but to be on that flight.

Airlines use complex computer software and algorithms to adjust their prices so they can respond to supply and demand in real time. If bookings are cancelled close to the flight date, the software might automatically offer those seats at a very low price to make sure they’re filled. That’s why you’ll see prices fluctuating as you search for the perfect fare.

If you’re looking to fly on a route that’s predominantly used by business travellers, airlines might start by selling tickets at lower prices to tempt leisure travellers in a bid to fill the plane. They may then raise prices as the flight date nears, because business travellers typically book at the last minute.

How many days before a flight will I find the best price?

This depends on many, ever-changing factors, like how well the flight or route is selling. Typically, airlines offer cheaper prices when flights are first released, so booking earlier could help you to find a cheaper deal.

Luckily, we’ve done some of the number crunching for you. Use our Savings Generator tool to discover how many weeks before your preferred departure date you’re likely to find the cheapest flights.

If you can be flexible with your travel dates, use Skyscanner’s Whole Month search tool to find the cheapest day to travel to your chosen destination.

What day of the week is cheapest to book flights?

Tuesday is often believed to be the cheapest day to book flights because airlines often release sales starting from Monday night or Tuesday morning. This means that if you happen to look at flights on a Tuesday after a sale starts, you’ll probably get better deals than you would if searching on a Saturday.

Ultimately, finding a cheap flight is less about the day you book, and more about how popular your flight is since flights are priced based on supply and demand.

What is the cheapest month to fly in India?

The best time to book domestic flights in India varies significantly depending on the destination. If you already know where you want to go, use our Cheapest Month tool which will show you the cheapest month of the year to visit. Just select ‘flexible dates’ in the search window after entering your destination. After you’ve selected the cheapest month, you’ll be able to see the cheapest day to fly in your chosen month.

How can I find deals on flights to popular Indian destinations like Delhi and Goa?

To find the cheapest flight deals for the Indian destination you’re hoping to visit, put the name of the destination into our flight search tool (for example a Delhi to Goa flight) along with your travel dates (or select ‘any time’ if you can be flexible). You’ll then be provided with a list of flights starting from the lowest price. You can also use our Cheapest Month and Cheapest Day tools to see flight prices clearly and identify the days with the best fares.

Now you know when it’s best to book a flight and secure the best deals, you can plan your next trip on a budget. Use our tools to highlight the cheapest time to fly and secure lower fares with Price Alerts.

Thinking of travelling soon? Skyscanner can help you find the best flights, hotels and car hire deals for your next trip.