When is the best time to buy flights for summer and Christmas travel?

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As almost everyone knows, summer and winter are the most expensive times of year to travel. But they are also the most active because many people only have the opportunity to travel with family during these dates.

So, what are the best dates and techniques for getting flights at the lowest possible price? Here are some tips based on our experience analyzing flight costs at Mochileando.com over the past seven years.

A very common mistake is that people buy flights almost a year in advance, thinking that they will not get a better deal.

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Best dates to book international destinations

Generally, if you're traveling to an international destination, the best dates to buy your flights are seven to two months before your travel date.

This means that if you want to travel on dates between July and August, you're more likely to get competitive prices between December and May before your trip. In the same way, if you want to travel during the holiday season, the months where you will be most likely to get the best prices are between April and October, before your trip.

Best dates to book a domestic destination

Unlike international destinations, prices for domestic destinations are likely to be more competitive between five to up to a month before your trip. With the period from four months to a month before your trip being the most likely to see a better price. This means that if you want to travel on dates in July and August, you're more likely to get competitive prices between March and June before your trip. In the same way, if you want to travel during the Christmas season, the months where you will be most likely to get the best prices are between August and November, before your trip.

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It is important to remember that this is not a hard and fast rule. The travel market can surprise us with unexpected offers at any time. The question is, what can you do to avoid missing out on any deals? There are several alternatives.

• Set alerts to your flight dates in a search engine. Search engines such as Google Flights or Kayak.com allow you to schedule alerts for your flights if you know the specific dates. This will help you get the best price if an unexpected offer comes up.

• Subscribe to a website or membership that notifies you daily of the best flight deals. Several pages or memberships notify you when flight prices drop to different destinations. This tool is useful if you have not yet decided on the destination you want to travel to. A very cheap price can help you make the decision.

Always keep in mind that what is a competitive price for summer or winter, is not necessarily a competitive price for traveling in low season. For example, if you're going from New York to Madrid in the summer, a great price can be anything under $599.

However, if you go in the low season a great price could be $429 or less. You need to be realistic when looking for the best prices. But if you follow the tips, there's a good chance you'll get the best deals. Safe travels!

Wilson "Wil" Santiago Burgos is the founder of Mochileando.com, one of the largest travel platforms in Puerto Rico and the Latin American market in the U.S.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Book ahead: The best time to buy flights was 1-2 months ago