By Juergen T Steinmetz
Published December 14, 2017
What day of the week is best to book air tickets?
A review of the most cost-effective day to buy air travel re-confirmed that the lowest airfare ticket price can be found on online booking channels on Sunday for both economy and premium travel.
Depending on the itinerary, business travelers departing on Friday may find a lower Average Ticket Price (ATP). The cheapest days-of-week to start an international air journey in the premium cabin are Fridays and Saturdays.
RELATED:Energy Initiative Brings Electricity to 50 Million Black Africans
Heading into 2018, all regions of the world show strong demand for travel. Whether you are traveling to a city nearby or across an ocean, the industry looks strong.
Business travelers are beginning to buy tickets further in advance as flights are filling more quickly to maximize travel budgets. Some travel managers are also starting to include these advance purchase changes into their policies.
This year’s study provides several actionable insights for travel managers to help optimize their programmes.
How far in advance should a traveler book online?
Despite popular belief in the benefits of last-minute bookings, in most parts of the world, economy fares tend to increase as departure date gets closer.
Booking a flight more than 30 days ahead of departure is when travelers are most likely to find the lowest Average Ticket Prices (ATPs) for economy and premium cabin air travel.
Generally the “early is better” mantra holds true for most travel.
RELATED:CFTA to make Africa One of the Largest Economies in the World
The data scientists at Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC) have identified eight distinct patterns in the data regarding advance purchase.
While the “deep slope—flat tail” model holds for most travel in the USA, a very different “early flat—increasing tail” model is revealed in some markets outside of North America.
“It’s well understood that consumers who possess relevant information in tune with their personal preferences before they shop, will be more confident and likely to make a final purchase. …ARC is able to provide these broad-based insights on travel around the world – both leisure and corporate – that supports the continued growth of air travel and the travel industry as a whole. The ability to see what is changing and provide actionable data and insights to ARC’s customers and travelers worldwide is core to ARC’s analytical capabilities,” ARC says.
An eTurboNews article