The Best Booking Periods for Finding Cheap Holiday Flights

Photo Credit: Slepitssskaya, Adobe Stock

We’re already rounding the corner into autumn, which means the end-of-year holidays will be here before you know it! That means now is the time to start making your travel plans for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, according to new research results just released by Google.

The company’s 2024 travel trends report, based on Google Flights data gathered over the past four years, aims to help travelers navigate their trip options by providing fresh insights into the latest travel leanings, as well as expert tips for securing the most affordable flights. 

How To Score the Cheapest Holiday Flights

With flight prices fluctuating constantly, it’s hard to know when prices will be at their lowest for your planned trip. However, in compiling its data, Google Flights identified some definitive patterns for the best booking windows, generally speaking. 

• Domestic Flights: Historically, the ideal time to book U.S. flights has been 38 days before departure. However, the lowest prices are typically found anywhere between 21 to 52 days prior to takeoff.
• International Flights: For trips abroad, the data suggests booking 101 days in advance. Fares tend to rise within 50 days of departure, so it’s best to plan early.

Specific recommendations for booking holiday travel include:

• Thanksgiving: Domestic travelers have historically found the lowest airfare available 45 days before departure, with some of the best deals arising between 26 to 59 days out. The prime time to secure low fares for travel just before or after the Thanksgiving holiday is early October.
• Christmas: Historically speaking, travelers looking to fly around the December holidays scored the lowest flight prices by purchasing 58 days in advance, with fares typically at their lowest between 36 to 72 days before the flight. So, once again, this means the latter part of October is ideal for finding holiday-period deals.

Midweek Travel May Offer Additional Savings

While certain myths about cheaper booking days persist, Google Flights data indicates that, generally speaking, the day of the week you book doesn’t significantly impact the price. Historically, the difference in cost between the cheapest day (Tuesday) and the most expensive day (Sunday) is only 1.3 percent.

However, throughout the year, travelers can certainly save money by choosing specific days to fly. According to the data, flights on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday are generally 13 percent cheaper compared to those that depart on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. When looking exclusively at domestic flights, this savings margin jumps to 20 percent.

Of course, the timing of the holidays can disrupt that model depending upon which days they fall. Thanksgiving, for instance, being always on a Thursday and this coming Christmas being a Wednesday, could mess with that overarching pattern. A company spokesperson told The Washington Post that Google didn’t have specific data to answer the question of whether it’s still cheaper to travel midweek during the holidays, but advised using the “date grid” on a Google Flights search to see prices compare on different days. 

Forego Nonstop Flights for Further Price Cuts

If budget is a top concern, another option is to choose flights with one or more stops instead of nonstops. The savings can be significant at about 25 percent on average, but it’s important to consider that layovers increase both your travel time and risk of disruptions, particularly during the winter months when weather-related delays and cancellations are quite common.

(My Journey Begins Travel does NOT recommend purposely booking connecting flights during holiday periods in order to save money, but recognizes that this is a matter of individual choice. Please remember that with most flights already sold to capacity or oversold at holiday periods, the chances of getting on the “next flight” if you miss a connection are about as slim as getting a ride to Chicago in a box truck operated by a polka band).

Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Consider International Flight Deals During Thanksgiving

For those looking to bypass the traditional Thanksgiving rush in the U.S., international travel may offer a reprieve from costly domestic airfare. Travel expert Scott Keyes, founder of Going.com, pointed out that this travel period offers some of the year’s best bargains on international travel and that even transatlantic flights are priced on par, if not cheaper, with domestic flights during this period. 

Your Best Bet for Finding the Lowest Fares

With flight prices fluctuating daily, the key to finding the best deals is to book early and stay flexible with your preferred travel dates. Setting up price alerts for desired routes and acting quickly when favorable fares appear can make all the difference. And, for those who don’t mind a bit of an adventure, opting for a layover or going for an international destination, rather than a domestic one, may provide additional savings.

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.