Travel 101: When and How to Book Your Flight to Paris

When planning a trip to Paris, sometimes the most daunting task is getting there. International travel can be intimidating, but there are plenty of ways to make it easy on yourself. Long-distance flights from the U.S., Canada, Australia and other long-haul destinations might feel more complex or daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some ways to find and book cheap flights.

Timing is Everything

Consider the day you choose to book your flight. Multiple studies suggest that booking on a Tuesday or Wednesday tends to offer lower prices, and some sources add Sundays. There tends to be more traffic on the back end of travel sites on the weekends, so they’re able to inflate prices slightly. The same thing goes for the days you opt to travel. Flying on the weekend is more convenient for most people, therefore the prices are higher. But if you can manage to fly during the week – specifically Monday through Wednesday- your wallet will benefit from that choice.

Other studies indicate that the time of year plays a role in booking flights. Apparently, making your bookings on December 3rd, also known as Travel Tuesday, is the way to go. The day has become famous as the best day of the year to book a flight in advance for a trip, based on off seasons, the day of the week, and the date itself. That, along with the common practice of booking your flights three months or more in advance, can lower costs before you are charged extra because you need to get it done last minute.

On the other hand, you could apply a “high-risk, high-reward” strategy to booking your international flights, since some analysts have found it’s cheaper to book 18-29 days before the trip itself. If you’re willing to take the risk, it could pay off. However, not everyone is comfortable with that idea.

Booking Engines and Flight Aggregators

Once you’re booking the actual trip, check different airlines as well as aggregators and flight search engines that track the trends in prices and can notify you when cheaper tickets are available.

Two such examples are Kayak and Google Flights, which work similarly. Once you’ve provided flight dates and destination information, the sites search dozens of airlines and display corresponding flight information. The listed options are ranked according to price, time of the flights, direct/connecting flights, and cabin class. There’s an option to track the same flights over time and get notifications, with predictions on how the trends are expected to increase or decrease in the next 30 days. In addition, these sites also offer the same service for hotels, cars, and extra travel bundles, too.

If you choose to book a flight, you are redirected to the specific airline’s website to make the actual purchase.

Websites with Flight Deals

Other websites offer flight deals and track patterns. Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) is a flight price tracking service that allows you to put in your desired airport and destination, and then get notifications of deals as flight prices change over time. While the domestic subscription is free, there’s a fee to include international destinations like Paris; the subscription is $4.08 per month. An example on their website even shows a flight from Baltimore to Paris for 71% off the usual price!

Airline Choice

Once you’re searching for ticket prices, the airline you choose can make a big difference. Not only in price, but in comfort, timing, and service. If you’re looking for specific routes, airlines like Air France have multiple options from the U.S., including direct flights with competitive prices from New York, Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Washington, and Miami. The mileage program is Flying Blue, and the SkyTeam Alliance airline partners include KLM, Virgin Atlantic, SAS, and Delta.

A unique niche airline is La Compagnie, launched in 2014 as the first fully business-class airline. The cabins are designed with 76 seats arranged in a 2×2 configuration. Each seat converts into a fully flat bed. In-flight entertainment includes free wifi, plus you get spoiled with a Caudalie travel kit. These direct flights are out of New York, and offer competitive prices.

Flying from the U.S., Delta is a strong contender as well, with many direct flights as well as options with layovers. United also gets high marks. Ultimately, your airline choice will depend on where you live, and which major airline operates a hub nearby.

To sum up: do your research early, browse the flight aggregators and travel deals sites, set up ticket pricing alerts, and then book your chosen itinerary directly on the airline website. In this way, you’ll find the perfect price for your ticket as well as the airline, class, and flight type that will work best for you.

Paris is only a few stops away… So what are you waiting for?