The Best Times and Seasons to Fly

It is important when contemplating a trip somewhere to consider the season you are planning to depart in and how busy your destination is likely to be. These factors play a significant role in the overall price you could pay for your airline ticket.

Updated 1 October 2026

Choosing the best time to fly to a destination

There are times when certain destinations in the world have their ‘Peak Seasons'. These are times when travel to these regions can be expensive. This is due to the demand associated with such destinations for that particular time of year.

When researching the best time to fly to a particular destinations try to catch the ‘Off-Peak Seasons' or 'Shoulder Seasons' to travel and plan your trip accordingly.

If wanting to travel to a snow resort, the peak seasons are generally during the winter months. However, peak periods vary by destination and type of trip. Travelling outside a busy period can offer lower prices, but compare your actual dates rather than assuming a later departure will be cheaper.

The destinations below give general seasonal starting points for your research.

Is it cheaper to fly in Spring or Summer? Our 2026 Price Check

We compared 15–22 May 2027 with 14–21 August 2027 on three US-origin routes: New York–Paris, Chicago–Rome and San Francisco–Paris. Both trips last seven nights and run Saturday to Saturday. 

How we kept the comparison readable and fair

The searches were for one adult, round-trip economy. The searches were on the same day but not simultaneous, and prices may have moved between captures.

All figures in the tables are displayed in USD. 

These are comparisons of search results, not verified checkout prices for identical tickets. Airlines, airport choices, schedules, baggage, booking conditions, separate-ticket arrangements and the complete return itinerary need to be checked before booking.

Direct-flight results: May versus August 2027

Positive figures mean May cost more. Negative figures mean May cost less. Percentage change is (May − August) ÷ August × 100.

The largest clear increase in this direct-category sample was on KAYAK for San Francisco–Paris: $829 in August versus $1,341 in May, a $512 increase or 61.76% relative to August. Skyscanner showed a $508 increase on the same route (60.98%). New York–Paris increased by $76 on Skyscanner, while Chicago–Rome increased by $100. These are differences between displayed results for two selected weeks, not a conclusion about the cheapest month throughout the year.

One-stop results: May versus August 2027

New York–Paris was cheaper in May for the displayed one-stop category on all five engines, with differences of $72–$102. Chicago–Rome showed no change on four engines; Aviasales / Jetradar was $13 higher in May. San Francisco–Paris split the engines: May was $51 lower on Momondo, but $20–$41 higher on the other four. These selected dates do not support one universal seasonal rule.

What this tells you about the best season to fly

Compare your actual dates before assuming that spring or another period outside summer will be cheaper. Check direct and connecting journeys separately: the preferred month can change when the type of flight changes. Our small snapshot tests two weeks, not entire seasons, and does not establish why each fare differs.

May was closer to the search date than August, so booking lead time also differed. This comparison does not isolate seasonality from flight schedules, seat availability, itinerary differences or booking lead time. It is an illustration of why flexible-date searches matter, not a controlled estimate of a seasonal discount.

For a separate comparison of prices across engines, see our summer flights comparison study.

You can quickly get an estimate of the cheapest month to fly by checking our 'Flex month' option on the FlightsFinder calendar. That will give you a rough idea of the cheapest month to fly in rather than trying to guess when flights will be more economical.

Best time to fly to popular destinations

Below we list some of the world's most popular destinations and highlight their peak seasons and the cheaper months to vist taking into consideration factors like weather and seasonal events.

1.) Best Time and Season to Visit France

Example City - Paris,

2.) Best Time and Season to Visit Spain

Example City - Barcelona,

3.) Best Time and Season to Visit United States

Example City – New York

4.) Best Time and Season to Visit China

Example City – Hong Kong

5.) Best Time and Season to Visit Italy

Example City – Rome

6.) Best Time and Season to Visit the United Kingdom

Example City – London

7.) Best Time and Season to Visit Mexico

Example City – Mexico City

8.) Best Time and Season to Visit Turkey

Example City – Istanbul

9.) Best Time and Season to Visit Germany

Example City – Frankfurt

More information about particular destinations can be found using our flexible everywhere search found on our homepage.

Important Considerations

There are a number of advantages and disadvantages of travelling off-peak that you should be aware of.

The number one reason which influences the desirability of a particular location is the weather conditions.

Always make sure you research this factor before settling on a particular destination. A quieter period may involve extreme heat, cold or rain. Visit the destination’s official website to check weather conditions and whether they suit your planned activities.

Another factor to consider is the tendency for some establishments to take advantage of the off-peak travel season to carry out refurbishments on their premises. This can make staying in a hotel less than desirable whilst hearing pneumatic drills going off and seeing scaffolding everywhere. Always phone the hotel you are planning to stay at and ask whether they or their neighbours are planning to carry out any refurbishments during your desired period of stay. These are some factors to take into consideration when travelling during the low season.

On the upside, destinations are relatively quieter and more peaceful and allow travellers to avoid large crowds and peruse the local sites at a leisurely and unhurried pace. Accommodation and some other costs can be lower, but check the full trip price before booking.

Time of departure

Another factor to consider when searching for the cheapest airline tickets is the time of day you plan to depart.

Very early morning flights and late evening flights can be worth comparing with departures during busier periods, but they are not automatically cheaper. Include any extra airport hotel or taxi costs.

The airlines want to fill as many of their seats as possible so they sometimes drop the price of tickets departing at those times. Our advice would be to experiment with departures at different times of the day and see if any discounts can be acquired.

Day of departure

Another factor to consider when looking for cheap flights is the actual day of the flight departure. Particular days of the week are considered busy periods and flights tend to be more expensive during these times.

Compare weekdays and weekends for your particular route. Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday can be worth checking, but no day guarantees a cheaper flight.

Many online search functions have the ability to check for flights on ‘flexible dates', this will allow you to check flights departing for your destination a few days earlier or later.

We highly recommend our flexible date flight search to discover the cheapest times to fly. It allows you to see the best fares found online over the entire month and year. Try it now!