The Cheapest (and Best) Time to Fly to India from Australia
Fares to India swing by hundreds of dollars depending on when you fly and when you book. Here is how to time it for the lowest price.
Fares between Australia and India swing by hundreds of dollars depending on when you fly and when you book. Get the timing right and the same trip costs far less. Here is how to think about it.
The months to avoid
Two periods are reliably the most expensive:
- December to mid-January. This is the single worst window for price. It combines the Australian summer school holidays with India's wedding season, so demand is high on both ends. If you have to travel then, book early, four to six months ahead.
- The Diwali run-up. Fares climb sharply in the weeks before Diwali (8 November in 2026). Prices can rise steeply in the final month, and last-minute tickets can cost two to three times the early fare.
Wedding season broadly runs from late October through January and February, which is part of why the whole late-year stretch stays pricey.
The cheaper windows
If your dates are flexible, the shoulder seasons are your friend:
- February to March
- September to early October (before the Diwali ramp-up)
- The monsoon months of July and August are often cheap too, if you don't mind the rain
Sources differ on the single cheapest month, but they all point the same way: avoid the late-October to mid-January festival and holiday peak, and you will pay noticeably less.
How far ahead to book
- For peak travel (December to January, Diwali, wedding season): book four to six months ahead. For a Diwali trip specifically, lock your fare around two to three months out.
- For off-peak travel: around ten to fourteen weeks ahead tends to be the sweet spot.
The Australia to India corridor has fewer flights than the UK or US routes into India, so genuine bargains are thinner and disappear earlier. Booking ahead matters more here than on busier routes.
A few more ways to save
- Fly mid-week. Tuesday and Wednesday departures are often cheaper than weekends.
- Be flexible on the city. Fares into Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and the southern cities can differ a lot on the same dates. If you can enter through a different airport and travel on from there, you may save.
- Watch the baggage, not just the fare. The cheapest ticket often carries the least baggage. See our baggage allowance guide before you book on price alone.
Plan your route
Ready to look at specific cities? See our guides to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and South India.
Let us do the watching for you
You don't have to track fares yourself. Tell us roughly when you want to travel, and we will find the cheapest sensible window and the fare that gets the whole family there with the baggage you need.
Request a callback or call 1300 629 507.