rule of thumb would be the sooner the cheaper, but how many weeks or months in advance?
For my particular flight there are only three companies and it seems flights are cheaper between Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, if you want to book a flight 2 months from now, it’s considerably cheaper.
Have you found the sweet spot?
International flights from NZ, 3 to 6 months. Local flights about 3 or 4 weeks.