What’s the best day to book a flight in Spain?

Today, February 9, is the best day to purchase plane tickets online for the Easter holiday.

That is according to the latest report by Skyscanner, a global search engine for flights, hotels and car rentals.

The website’s data shows that the best moment to make a purchase in Spain is seven weeks before the trip date. Travelers who book now could save 10 percent on Easter flights.

“If you see an offer on Thursday, buy it – don’t wait for Saturday”

Recent years have seen a rise in websites that trawl through airline and travel agency prices in the hopes of detecting patterns that will let them recommend the best days to buy.

George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog, told The New York Times that even if the latest research points to weekends as the best time to buy tickets, “if you see an offer on Thursday, buy it – don’t wait for Saturday.”

His twenty-year experience analyzing the online travel fare market tells him that companies are constantly playing with their pricing, making it increasingly difficult to get the forecast right.

The seven-weeks-early recommendation cited by Skyscanner coincides with the 57 days recommended by the travel booking platforms Expedia and FareCompare.

Another travel expert named Patrick Surry, a scientist who produces the Hopper reports, says that customers have some leeway until 15 days before their planned travel date. After that, prices can go up by as much as 29 percent.

Still, there are no rules etched in stone. Hobica notes that it is possible to find discounts of up to €500 on last-minute flights between the US and Asia.

Depends on the destination

After analyzing bookings for the last three years, Skyscanner believes that each European destination has its optimal reservation dates.

“You can find discounts of between 17% and 20% if you plan trips to London and Brussels two months in advance, whereas Paris requires 10 weeks. In the case of Rome or Amsterdam, it is advisable to book three months ahead of time.”

Overall, January is the cheapest month – except for travelers to Paris, who are advised to go in November. August remains the most expensive month of the year to fly anywhere.

According to Skyscanner, February is a good month to go to Bangkok and Lima (15% discount) and March to Buenos Aires. New York and Havana are desirable destinations in November, when discounts of 22% and 10% can be found.