Share on Facebook
Tweet on Twitter
What day of the week is best to book air tickets? What are the most popular destinations to travel? How far in advance should one book a trip? What are the lastest corporate travel trends? Last minute booking: Good or bad? The cheapest business of first class travel is avaolable on what dates?
A review of the most cost-effective day to buy air travel re-confirmed that the lowest airfare ticket price can be found when shopping on online booking channels including Expedia, United, Delta, American Airlines or other airlines is found on Sunday for both economy and premium travel.
- Depending on the itinerary, business travelers departing on Friday may find a lower ATP. Savvy travelers might use these savings to stay a few extra days over the weekend. Expedia’s ability to combine hotel and air travel options into a single package may make this an even more attractive option.
- The cheapest days-of-week to start an international air journey in the premium cabin are Fridays and Saturdays.
Where to go in 2018?
- 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. London remains the largest gateway to Europe from the U.S.; however, several airports in Asia are establishing themselves as global powerhouses for travel to and from Asia.
- Cancun is one of the most traveled-to destinations in Latin America. While it may not be an airport that comes to mind as one of the busiest, the number of holiday travelers from the U.S. makes Cancun larger than many of the business travel destinations in Latin America.
Corporate travel trends may have impacts across the business travel universe.
- 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 programs.
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.
- Best booking lead time for a bargain: 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; however, that guideline may be different in markets around the world.
- The data scientists at ARC and Expedia have identified eight distinct patterns in the data regarding advance purchase. While the “deep slope—flat tail” model holds for most travel in the U.S., a very different “early flat—increasing tail” model is revealed in some markets outside of North America, such as Busan to Seoul, where a different strategy may be more advantages. Full details, along with which markets show specific behaviors, are included in this year’s report.
The data is based on a recent study by ARC, the Airline Reporting Corporation. Chuck Thackston, ARC’s managing director of data science and research, stated: “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. With our continued strong relationship with Expedia, including Egencia, 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.”
Download the full report click here
Currently reading:
65
