Rachael Green
With demand surging as people prepare to visit their families, airlines typically charge more to fly during the holiday season. Combine that with the risk of lingering delays related to the government shutdown, and you might be looking at one of the more expensive times of year to book.
In addition to the dates of your trip, the cost of your airfare and lodging varies based on what time of year you make the booking — plus, your options for travel change, too.
Here’s what you need to know about the best times to book holiday travel to ensure you’re saving money and getting the most bang for your buck with your trip.
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The Goldilocks window for booking your trip
Booking at the last minute for a trip will almost always lead you to pay much more than you would have liked to spend. Prices for hotels and flights careen up as the date approaches, and as they get booked, you have fewer and fewer options.
Budget vacation choices will get scooped up quick — as will the flights with the most convenient times and the accommodations with the most attractive amenities.
However, you don’t want to book too far in advance, either. That, too, can lead to you spending an unnecessary amount of cash. There is a “Goldilocks window,” according to the Points Guy, the best time to book a domestic flight is one to two months in advance. For international airfare, aim for three to five months.
Of course, other experts suggest you may have even more time than that to book your flights now. A report from Expedia, which used its own data as well as information from Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) and travel data provider OAG, suggested the ideal time to buy the cheapest trip is actually 28 days before a domestic flight and 60 days before an international flight.
If you're visiting family in the U.S. this Christmas, that means the Goldilocks window is somewhere between about October 26 and November 28, depending on whether you're going by the Points Guy theory or the Expedia report.
Other ways you might be able to tweak your booking strategy to score a lower price (and less stress) on your flight include:
- Fly on a Sunday. Travelers who book flights that depart on Sunday save up to 13% according to that Expedia report. Even if you can't book a trip that lasts from one Sunday to the next, setting either your arrival or departure date for the more affordable day of the week may bring the price down a bit.
- Continue checking prices after you book. It's worth buying airfare that includes free changes. Then, keep checking flights periodically after you book. If the price drops, you can change your flight to take advantage of the lower fare. Just note that some airlines issue a travel voucher for the difference rather than refunding your original payment method.
- Compare round-trip flights to two one-way tickets. Sometimes, booking each leg of the trip separately works out to be cheaper than buying a single round-trip ticket. This is especially true if you mix and match airlines. American might have the cheapest departing flight while United or JetBlue are the better deal on your return date.
- Avoid the busiest dates. According to AAA, the busiest travel dates (which also tend to be the most expensive) are the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and, for Christmas travel, December 20 to 23.
- Heading home on December 26 will also likely cost extra. If you have the flexibility to fly in a little earlier and leave a little later to beat the crowds, you could save a bit on your flight.
- Book flights that depart earlier in the day. This won't necessarily save you money, but it will save you the headache of dealing with delayed or cancelled flights when you're already on a holiday time crunch. Flights departing before 3:00 p.m. are 50% less likely to be canceled than flights leaving later in the day.
Start planning next year's summer travel now
The reality is that travel is still wonky thanks to the inclement weather affecting many areas of the country, which means that if you’re looking to fly internationally, especially next summer, it’s best to get on it ASAP, as prices will simply start to soar as the high season approaches.
“In the past, there was a tendency to book later and later and later, simply because there wasn’t an issue about supplying the products, because it seemed like there was an endless supply,” Dino Triantafillou, managing director of tour operator Italian Journeys, explained to CNN Travel. “And so that’s been pushed back now because of the supply issues and the huge demand. So inevitably, something has to give, and that means clients have to book at least six to 12 months in advance to get what they want at the right price.”
If you have your heart set on a Grecian beach or a Paris night out next summer, you’d do well to start planning now to ease your budgetary burdens.
That's especially true if you're planning to use the points or miles you wracked up on your holiday trip to pay for your summer adventures. According to the Points Guy, the "Goldilocks window" for travelers redeeming points is earlier than those paying cash. For award flights, the earlier you book, the better.
Not only are there more award seats available, but airlines sometimes offer the best redemption rates right when booking opens for a given set of dates. Start monitoring prices about 11 months in advance and don't be afraid to strike even if you're still eight months out from the dates you actually plan to fly.
Set savings goal in advance for your trip
Bankrate reports the average cost of a one-week vacation for two adults is $3,932. Earmarking money in advance is a smart way to ensure you have enough saved for your trip so you don't have to go into debt to pay for it.
There are a few options you can do to save. High-yield savings accounts allow you to earn a good rate of interest with access to your funds anytime you need them. Or, you can go with a short-term certificate of deposit.
They offer terms of three or six months, allowing you ample time to earn a healthy rate of return and extra cash for your trip. Using this tool from Bankrate, you can find a CD that could help you reach your savings goal for travel:
It's better to book too early than too late
The bottom line is: if you're paying with miles or points, there's almost no such thing as too early. If you're paying with cash, prices might be higher than if you waited until a couple months out from your trip. But, as long as you get a ticket that allows you to rebook, you can simply check prices every month or so in the lead up to your trip and rebook when prices drop.
You might only get an airline credit for the difference, but you can put that toward your summer vacation next year.
Just keep in mind that flight forecasting is a tricky business, and prices do vary dramatically based on demand and destination, especially as airlines like Delta roll out AI pricing.
Sign up for a flight tracker so you’re aware of price dips, use the best travel websites to save money, and try to be flexible when planning — your wallet will thank you.
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