Best Time to Buy Cheapest Flights to Asia

Is there a secret to buying a bargain airline tickets to Asia?  Sure there is.  I'll share tips that will help you avoid paying the highest premium as the price can fluctuate as high as double.

Cheapest time of the Year to Travel

The flights from U.S to Asia are generally destined to three countries; Japan, South Korea and China, which accounts for about 70%.  Even though there isn't a significant seasonal fluctuations in price, the flights to Asia surges at the beginning of school vacations which is May to June, December and April.

The spike in the number of travelers during these times is attributable to students studying in the States traveling back home and families with school aged children taking vacations.

In general, the prices tend to be at the lowest level in the fall and early spring.

How early should I buy the tickets?

Special promotions for flights to Asia are spotty at best; sometimes even unannounced in advance.  Some travel experts even claim that reserving tickets as early as 5-6 month in advance works in favor of discounted tickets, but that's very rare.  In fact, most airliners do not release discounted tickets that early.

It is highly recommend to plan and possibly purchase the tickets at least a month prior to your departure.  There are some travel agencies that deal heavily with Asian customers flying back home, and they usually know upcoming specials better than anyone else.

You can usually contact one of those agency to let them know your time frame so the agent can notify you as soon as the promotion is announced.  Typically, these tickets sell out pretty fast.

A study done by cheapair.com shows that 11 weeks in advance is the time to buy the lowest priced tickets for international flights statistically.

What is the range of price for an economy seat?

It really depends on where you are flying from.  Flying from east coast is usually higher than west coast since it is about 5 hours further away.  Considering all departure cities, a single economy ticket can cost anywhere from $700 to $2,000.

That's a huge variance if you are traveling with a family of four people.  We will be updating and adding more resource shortly on this topic, so stay tuned.