Want to know the best time to book a flight from Canada? We’ve analyzed our booking data from last year to help you find the cheapest times to book a flight from within Canada and to international destinations!
Discover the Best Time to Book Flights
When thinking about your next vacation, you always want to make sure you are getting the best flight deals. Whether you are going on a short or long-haul trip, paying more than you have to will take a bit out of your travel budget. Our article lays out the details about all you need to know to save on flights: from the best month to book flights, the best day to book flights, and how far in advance you should book for the most popular destinations within Canada and abroad.
| Route Type | Canada | International |
| Best month to book | January | February |
| Best day to book | Sunday | Thursday |
| How many weeks out | 4 | 4 |
| Average trip length | 7 days | 20 days |
What Are the Best Flight Prices?
We’ve analyzed the data on the average prices for the most popular flight routes within Canada and to international destinations in the U.S., Europe, and Asia from 2019 to help you plan for your vacation this year. Find out the prices below to your favourite domestic and international destinations so you can discover the best time to book a flight in 2020!
Domestic and international flight routes from Canada
Top Routes for flights within Canada: Avg. Price for return flights
As you can see from the infographic above, the flight prices vary according to distance and departure city. So if you’re seeing a flight that’s $600 from Toronto to Vancouver, for example, you know that’s on the pricey side! We’ve gathered the average cost of flights from last year to help give you an estimate of what you should be paying for flights within Canada. All prices are in Canadian dollars and are the round-trip fares. We break it down for you below.
| Rank | Domestic Routes | Avg. Price |
| 1 | Toronto-Vancouver | $540 |
| 2 | Vancouver-Toronto | $536 |
| 3 | Toronto-Calgary | $518 |
| 4 | Vancouver-Calgary | $308 |
| 5 | Calgary-Toronto | $502 |
| 6 | Montreal-Vancouver | $524 |
| 7 | Calgary-Vancouver | $294 |
| 8 | Toronto-Edmonton | $445 |
| 9 | Edmonton-Toronto | $441 |
| 10 | Toronto-Montreal | $235 |
Top Routes for international flights from Canada: Avg. Price for return flights
| Rank | International Route | Avg. Price |
| 1 | Montreal-Paris (ORY) | $559 |
| 2 | Toronto-New Delhi | $1478 |
| 3 | Montreal-Cancun | $430 |
| 4 | Vancouver-New Delhi | $1248 |
| 5 | Montreal-Paris (CDG) | $846 |
| 6 | Toronto-London (LHR) | $934 |
| 7 | Toronto-London (LGW) | $792 |
| 8 | Toronto-Mumbai | $1469 |
Disclaimer: Information correct as of February 24, 2020, obtained from Skyscanner’s data on travel trends and average findings. All prices in Canadian dollars. Flight prices may change due to availability at the time of booking.
Trip Length for Canadian and International Destinations
When booking your dream vacation, are you wondering how long to book for? Based on data from 2019, we’ve discovered how long the average return flight is from within Canada and to the most popular international destinations. The infographic below outlines that Canadians tend to book a 3 or 4 day trip when visiting cities within the country and book a 7 to 14 day trip when traveling abroad.
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Best Time to Book by Month
For more information on how the flight prices vary from month to month, take a look at our interactive infographic below.
When are the best months to book flights across Canada?
When deciding the best month to book flights across Canada, it’s best to book your flight either in January, February or September. Ideally, try not to book a flight in July, where flight prices tend to increase by 33.2% compared to the lowest average price in January.
When are the best months to book international flights?
Based on the data, it looks like Canadians tend to plan their trips at the beginning of the year! Have you booked your latest vacation yet? The best months to book international flights from Canada are January, February, and March. The absolute cheapest month is February, where flight prices are on average 22.8% cheaper compared to the most expensive month to book a flight, which is in October.
Infographic: Best Month to Book Flights
Take a look at the infographic and tables below to get a better understanding of how the prices change for flights within Canada, and the best months to book on average for the cheapest price.
Disclaimer: Information correct as of February 24, 2020, obtained from Skyscanner’s data on travel trends and average findings. All prices in Canadian dollars. Flight prices may change due to availability at the time of booking.
The best month to book a flight within Canada
When booking flights within Canada, the cheapest month is January and the prices are the highest in July.
| Month (2019 Data) | Average Price (CAD $) |
| January | $382 |
| February | $409 |
| March | $416 |
| April | $446 |
| May | $457 |
| June | $483 |
| July | $509 |
| August | $464 |
| September | $440 |
| October | $466 |
| November | $447 |
| December | $451 |
The best month to book an international flight
When booking international flights, the cheapest month is February and the prices are the highest in October.
| Month (2019 Data) | Average Price (CAD $) |
| January | $839 |
| February | $831 |
| March | $895 |
| April | $972 |
| May | $967 |
| June | $1011 |
| July | $960 |
| August | $925 |
| September | $957 |
| October | $1021 |
| November | $994 |
| December | $978 |
Best Month to Book: Canada’s Top Routes
According to our data from 2019, the most popular destinations for Canadians are the following cities: New Delhi, Paris, London, Cancun, Toronto, New York, Dublin, and Vancouver. The infographic below breaks down each destination and the average cost of a flight month by month. Just click on the bar that has the city name and you’ll see that each city is listed for you. Use this handy info to help you get the best price on flights when you’re booking this year!
Disclaimer: Information correct as of February 24, 2020, obtained from Skyscanner’s data on travel trends and average findings. All prices in Canadian dollars. Flight prices may change due to availability at the time of booking.
So, when is the best month to book?
As the infographic shows above, the best month to book a flight varies according to your chosen destination. For example, the cheapest month to book a flight to New York City is in January ($300) and the most expensive in July ($403), which means booking your flight to the Big Apple in January can save you up to 34.3%. For a flight to Cancun, the best time to book a flight according to the price is in February ($381 on average for a flight), with the most expensive month being December (at $602) – that’s a difference of 58%!
The Best Day to Book a Flight
Is Tuesday the cheapest day to book a flight? That’s been a common question for deal hunters like you, and from our most recent data, we’ve actually discovered the best day to book a flight. And the best day to book a flight might surprise you! The infographic below highlights the best day to book (in green) and the most expensive day to book (in pink).
Disclaimer: Information correct as of February 24, 2020, obtained from Skyscanner’s data on travel trends and average findings. All prices in Canadian dollars. Flight prices may change due to availability at the time of booking.
What’s the best day of the week to book a flight within Canada?
| Day | Avg. Price |
| Monday | $466.39 |
| Tuesday | $462.98 |
| Wednesday | $465.77 |
| Thursday | $464.36 |
| Friday | $469.26 |
| Saturday | $465.94 |
| Sunday | $460.17 |
What’s the best day of the week to book an international flight from Canada?
| Day | Avg. Price |
| Monday | $1,058.41 |
| Tuesday | $1,053.60 |
| Wednesday | $1,052.18 |
| Thursday | $1,048.95 |
| Friday | $1,049.30 |
| Saturday | $1,052.39 |
| Sunday | $1,057.35 |
Surprised? It’s usually assumed that weekends aren’t the best time to book a flight, but according to last year, Sunday tends to be the best day to book flights in Canada. For international flights, the cheapest day to book a flight is on Thursday, while the most expensive flights tend to be on Monday.
How Far in Advance to Book a Flight
Wondering if it’s best to book a flight at the last minute or way in advance? Read all about it below.
How many weeks in advance should I book flights within Canada?
When booking your flights both within Canada and internationally, it is best to book 4 weeks ahead of your planned departure date. Click between the domestic and international columns in the infographic below to see the average prices of flights.
Infographic: How Many Weeks out to Book Flights
Disclaimer: Information correct as of February 24, 2020, obtained from Skyscanner’s data on travel trends and average findings. All prices in Canadian dollars. Flight prices may change due to availability at the time of booking.
The Best Time to Book a Flight from Canada
Armed with information on when it is the best time to book, you can make sure you book your next flight at the right time to get the best price. There are lots of different ways to find the cheapest last minute flight deals so that you can save more on your next adventure.
By looking at price trends for different destinations from different airports across Canada in 2019, we are able to determine the best month to book, the best day to book, and how far in advance you should be booking your flights in 2020.
As we have outlined, it really does depend on your destination. For instance, if you’re looking to book a flight to Hawaii, it’s best to book a flight for April-May or September-October when there are fewer tourists. And if you’re looking for some more tips on snagging cheap flights to Europe, we’ve got some tips for you here.
Best Time to Book Flights Across Canada
Now is the time to see more of your own backyard! Most Canadians want to explore Canada more, but too often have been put off by the expensive costs. Skyscanner recently conducted a study of Canadian and American travellers which found that the majority of Canadians regret not taking advantage of seeing Canada more. Despite recognizing that Canada is a “cool” travel destination, we take it for granted. See more of Canada in 2020!
Getting More Cheap Flights with Skyscanner
Still wondering how you can get cheap flights? In addition to knowing the best time to book, there are a number of tips and tricks in order to secure a good deal. Set up a free price alert so you are always in the know as soon as there is a price change on your selected flights. Or check out our numerous deals pages below where we update seat sales from top airlines in Canada.
To get great deals and the latest prices available, use the search control below. You can also find cheap flights by visiting Skyscanner.ca directly and exploring cheap months to travel, and the cheapest destinations from your nearby airport using the tips suggested in this article.
Deals from Canada’s top airlines
- Air Canada Seat Sales and Flight Deals
- Porter Airlines Seat Sales and Flight Deals
- WestJet Seat Sales and Flight Deals
- Air Transat Seat Sales and Flight Deals
- Swoop Seat Sales and Flight Deals
Search for more cheap flights with our search engine below
