With so many countries to choose from and seemingly countless flights that cover their respective regions, it's difficult to whittle down which nations offer the lowest price when it comes to airfare.
Thankfully, travel website Kiwi.com accomplished just that with Flight Price Index 2017, a follow-up to last year's study. It scoured large amounts of data to discover the countries that offer the cheapest average airfare.
As noted in the blog entry, confining airline prices down to a list is an arduous and near-impossible task as costs continue to fluctuate weekly. However, Kiwi.com looked at over a million trips and took into account the high and low season to come up with its pricing breakdown.
The winner this year is Malaysia, which has an average cost of $4.18 over the span of 100 kilometers. It's followed by Bulgaria, India, Turkey, Romania, Indonesia, Portugal, Thailand, Sweden and Spain to round out the top 10.
The above is the apex when considering the average. However, it's important to take a more nuanced look, and the website sorted out short-haul and long-haul flights, breaking down things even further with low-cost and full-service options.
So while Romania might average out to be the No. 5 in the world on this Index, its full-service, short-haul flights average a whopping $13.81, bested only by Portugal and Sweden in that distinction among the top 10.
The United States fared well on this list, appearing in the upper half of the less expensive countries.
A flight originating in the U.S. costs an average of $11.50 over 100 kilometers. (You can expect to pay about $5.41 for every 100km if you choose a low-cost option for your short jaunt. The price only goes up to $6.48 for full-service options.)
Things are far more disparate on long-haul flights. A low-cost option averages $6.35 while those ponying up for full-service pay about $27.77 per 100 kilometers.
Belgium, Netherlands, Qatar, Chile and the United Arab Emirates proved to be the most costly countries on average in 2017's study.
This is all a fantastic starting point to gauge where the most cost efficient trip might take place.
As Kiwi.com CEO Oliver Dlouhy explains, there are many items that could affect the cost at any moment, however: "Ticket prices fluctuate constantly for a myriad of reasons. Year on year changes can partly be attributed to fuel prices, sociopolitical shifts such as Brexit, recent elections and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.
"The UK, for example, is seeing a larger number of Americans visit due to the weakening of the pound, whereas Egypt and Turkey saw a drop in ticket prices due to a decrease in demand due to regional turmoil. By tracking flight cost by country, travelers have more information with which to choose destinations that allow them to travel further on their budget. Travelers know what their ideal route, timing and price is, so we give them the tools to fulfill that."
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Of course, there are myriad other ways to ensure some savings. CheapAir.com recently compiled its own set of data to discover the best time to plunk down a credit card on a trip.
It seems that the best moment ranges from two to four months out from your planned date of departure.
Airline Weekly's managing partner Seth Kaplan explained that a good rule of thumb, however, is to go with your gut, via CNBC: "If you see what looks like a too-good-to-be-true cheap fare many months before you plan to travel, grab it - that particular fare won't necessarily drop further."
The list above is certainly a great way to peruse the possibilities this world has to offer, and Malaysia is looking mighty good right about now.
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