The Cheapest Airline Tickets

Cheap flights to Asia: When to buy and fly

Take a look at the chart below; nearly three-quarters of all trans-Pacific fliers from the U.S. are destined for or will transit through one of the big three countries: Japan (39%), South Korea (16%) or China (14%).

The newly minted super-sized United Airlines , now merged with Continental, has the most weekly flights into Asia, closely followed by Delta, which inherited its own strong Asian presence via its merger with Northwest Airlines .

When should I start shopping for flights to Asia? 

Airlines usually release their cheapest seats for international flights much earlier than domestic flights, about 5 months before departure. Tickets can be purchased up to eleven months before your trip begins, but if you buy too early, chances are, you'll pay too much.

Airfare sales on flights to Asia tend to be spottier than sales on domestic routes, and when you do find these international sales, they are not always matched by the competition. This means it is important to start shopping early in the game to maximize your chance to catch a sale; and by shopping, I mean examining prices to/from different destinations and departure cities on a regular basis — and keeping an eye out for sales. You should also sign up for e-mail fare alerts for your selected route or routes and be prepared to act immediately if you see a big price drop.

Is there a cheapest day to fly to Asia? 

Airfare to Asia typically has a $25 to $30 discount in either direction for departures on Monday through Thursday. Cheaper and more expensive days to fly can vary by airline, though; for example, U.S. airlines consider Friday through Sunday to be a premium departure window while carriers like Korean Air do not consider Sunday a premium day. Overall, Monday through Wednesday departures tend to have the most "cheap seat" inventory.

What price should I expect to pay? 

U.S. travelers will be hard pressed to find flights to Asia for under $1000 round-trip, with the best prices generally on West Coast departures. If you are lucky enough to be in a city that has nonstop flights to Asia, these tend to garner a $150 to $200 premium over connecting flights.

Is there a cheapest time of year to fly to Asia? 

Asian flights generally don't have the prominent seasonal price drops that you see on flights to Europe. This is mainly due to the scarcity of such flights, plus with Asian routes the passenger focus is on business travelers whose travel is not dictated by weather and season.

Wataniya Airlines Airbus A320 - Flight Image of the Day

Wataniya Airlines is a Kuwaiti start-up carrier formerly known as Kuwait National Airlines.

The airline began operations in January with a pair of Airbus A320 aircraft, configured with just 122 seats, from January 2009.

Here is one of the airline's pair. Find out more about about this airline on Tuesday's new issue of Flight International on the newsstands.

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