Best times to book the lowest-priced international flights in 2023

Best times to book international flights

International travel is back in a big way in 2023. While the heightened demand and the impending peak summer travel season mean higher prices, travelers can still score a deal on a flight abroad if they know when to buy, according to CheapAir.com.

The online travel agency has released its 2023 International Airfare Study, analyzing more than 917 million airfares across every continent to determine the best time to buy international flights.

Overall, the best practice for savings is to book early. However, CheapAir also noted that most regions of the world aren't seeing a ton of volatility, meaning travelers can still lock in reasonable fares closer to their departure date.

Travelers eyeing a getaway to Mexico will want to book six weeks to 10 months in advance. What's more, flying on a Wednesday will save $95 per airline ticket on average compared with flying on Sunday. The average airfare for flights to Mexico is $504, CheapAir.com found.

Heading north of the border to Canada? The prime booking window is about three to 10 months before your travel date, with Tuesday flights saving $47 per airline ticket on average compared with flying on Sunday.

The best time to buy tickets To Europe is about 10 months in advance of travel. Customers can still find deals just six weeks out, but keep in mind that June, July and August are the most expensive months to travel to Europe.

The Caribbean will offer plenty of deals this year because airfares there have risen less than most other regions, at about 7%. Asia has the least flexible booking window this year at 4.5 to 10 months out. That means travelers will need to book early or risk paying higher costs.

"Asia flights are expensive in 2023. In fact, they're up about 33% over 2022 airfare. The best advice we can give in this situation is to buy flights to Asia as early as you can when you'll get the best prices available," the site stated..

Similarly, travelers will need to book sooner if traveling to the Middle East or Central America, where the prime windows range from 2.5 to 10 months and three to 10 months, respectively.

For flights to South America and Africa, the prime booking window is between 2.5 and 10 months from your travel date, with March and May being two of the cheapest months to travel to South America. Africa's average airfare of $1,287 is notably more expensive than South America's, which comes in at just under $800.

Travelers considering a dream getaway to the South Pacific in 2023 will want to book between six weeks and 10 months from departure and look to visit in October and November ahead of the most expensive months, December and January.