Those planning to travel during this year’s holiday season should consider booking their tickets now to secure a more affordable flight.
According to insights from Google, shared with Travel + Leisure, October is the best time to book tickets for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Specifically for Christmas, cheaper domestic flights are available during the second half of the month.
For Thanksgiving, domestic flight prices are lowest 45 days before departure, while flights for Christmas are generally cheaper 58 days before departure.
Passengers traveling internationally during the holiday season, however, should not wait, as according to Google, prices are unlikely to drop between now and the holidays. In fact, the opposite is more likely: the search system indicates that average prices start to rise about 50 days before international flights.
Flights are cheaper
According to a survey by Kayak, airfare for the holiday period is decreasing compared to last year. “Prices for Thanksgiving have dropped 6%, while for December holidays, the decrease is 9%. This trend applies to both domestic and international travel.
The study found that Minneapolis is the cheapest city in the U.S. to travel to this holiday season, with round-trip tickets costing an average of around $350. Other destinations with tickets for less than $400 include Denver, Chicago, Seattle, and Atlanta.
Where are people going this holiday season?
This year, search sites have noticed that travelers are looking for warm-weather destinations for Thanksgiving, with Orlando being the most searched destination, followed by Cancun. For December, Tokyo reigns supreme with its elaborate light displays, hot springs, and the strong dollar against the Japanese yen, all appealing to those willing to take on a long journey of over 14 hours.
Source: Travel & Leisure