2024 Travel: Optimal Booking for Long-Haul vs Short-Haul

Find out the best booking times for both long and short-haul for 2024, an information that can save you both time and money.

Ever pondered the lead time individuals employ to secure their air voyage? What's the optimal timeframe for reserving domestic flights? And how about international journeys? While no fixed schedule dictates ticket procurement, the majority of global travelers opt for an early approach. Some airlines may proffer last-minute reductions contingent upon flight occupancy.

The 2023 Skyscanner Horizons Report delves into booking intervals, queries, and actual reservations, elucidating variations in flight reservation timings for short-haul and long-haul flights. This piece scrutinizes the booking tendencies of air travelers worldwide in 2023 and their prospective booking strategies for 2024.

When to book for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)

In the EMEA regions in 2023, about 34% of voyagers secured short-haul flights at least 30 days before their slated departure, slightly lower than the 37% recorded in 2022. For long-haul journeys, the prevalent norm was a 90-day booking window, with nearly 30% reserving their trips at least three months in advance, marking a 2% dip from 2022. The preferred domestic travel booking timeframe ranges from 7 to 29 days before departure. During summer, a majority opted for last-minute bookings within a week of travel.

Best times to book for North, South, and Central America (AMER)

In the AMER regions in 2023, roughly 35% of travelers secured short-haul flights at least 30 days before their planned departure, mirroring figures from 2022. Notably, more individuals capitalized on eleventh-hour deals, booking within seven days compared to the preceding year. Long-haul flights saw a 40% reservation rate at least 90 days prior, marking a 4% increase from 2022. The 7-29 day window remained the prime choice for domestic air travel, with nearly a third booking during this period.

When to consider booking for Asia-Pacific (APAC)

APAC exhibited heightened volatility in air travel bookings. Short-haul bookings occurred either between 7-29 days before departure or 60-89 days before the flight date. Notably, the period between August and November witnessed a surge in last-minute bookings, constituting the majority. For long-haul flights, a 28% uptake was observed in the 90-day booking window, a 2% rise from 2022. Intriguingly, almost one-third of air travelers booked long-haul flights within 30 days of departure. This starkly contrasts with other regions where long-haul flights are typically reserved at least 90 days ahead, highlighting the divergent dynamics in air travel booking across markets.

Source: simpleflying.com