NEW YORK, Dec 11 — Good news, flyers: a new report on the state of flying predicts that airfare prices will drop next year.

That’s one of several findings in a new report prepared by online booking site Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), which offers a glimpse into how ticket prices are expected to change in 2015; the best times to score an airfare deal; and the shrinking gap between economy and premium class tickets.

For flyers in North America and Europe, an increase in demand and increased capacity, paired with a decline in fuel prices, will translate into slightly lower ticket prices in 2015.

That’s especially true of for flights originating in North America and flying into Dallas, as fares are expected to drop 11 per cent based on a year-over-year forecast.

Washington DC-bound travellers will also be happy to know that the report forecasts a 7 per cent drop in year-over-year prices, while airfares are also expected to drop 6 per cent to Tampa.

Driving increased capacity in Europe is the strong presence of low-cost carriers such as Vueling, Ryanair, Wizzair, easyJet and Norwegian who are leading the charge, the report notes.

Travellers in Europe may want to keep Rome on their travel radar in 2015, as airfare to the Italian destination is expected to drop 13 per cent compared to the year previous. Fares to Madrid are also likely to drop 6 per cent, while prices to Amsterdam and London are forecast to decline 5 per cent.

Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific seems to buck the trend, as increased demand is outstripping supply, resulting in slightly higher ticket prices for 2015. The biggest price hikes forecast for next year include New York-bound travellers (6 per cent) and Seoul (4 per cent).

After looking at historical averages, the report also found that Tuesday remains the best day of the week for scoring an airfare deal.

International travellers can also save more money if they leave on a Thursday and return on a Monday.

For long weekends on domestic travel, travellers can save about 25 per cent if they fly out Saturday and return on Tuesdays.

According to the report, it also pays to plan ahead, as flyers in North America can save up to US$225 (RM784) if they book their flights more than three weeks in advance. The best times to book a flight on domestic travel is 50 to 100 days out.

This is particularly true of Atlanta and New York, which showed the biggest advance purchase savings.

For international travellers, lowest fares can be found 150 to 225 days in advance.

And finally, a look at emerging flight data also shows that the price gap between economy class and more premium class tickets is poised to shrink next year, making first-class travel experience more accessible than ever. — AFP/Relaxnews