‘Tis the season to book holiday travel.
Summer may have just wrapped up, but now is actually the cheapest time to start locking in airfare and reservations in advance of the busy holiday season. With less than 90 days until Christmas and less than 60 days until Thanksgiving, travelers are entering the “low price range” to get the lowest fares, according to expert analysis of historical airfare pricing data from Google.
In fact, the lowest prices for Thanksgiving begin about 60 days before the holiday with the absolute cheapest flights available 35 days before Turkey Day. For the Christmas travel season, travelers can begin scoring cheap fares starting nearly 70 days in advance and should look around 51 days before their departure for the best deals.
“So if you plan to travel for Christmas, the best bargains can usually be found when booking anytime mid-October through mid-November,” Google wrote in a post.
To make sure travelers lock in the lowest deals, they should set price alerts on Google Flights to receive a notification when a preferred flight drops in cost. Travelers can also save by considering booking a layover, which Google said could help save about 22 percent on average compared to nonstop routes. Flying on Mondays through Wednesdays can also help the bottom line since those days are about 13 percent cheaper than the weekends.
However, booking on specific days won’t really save much since the least expensive day to purchase a flight is only 1.3 percent cheaper than the most expensive day.
When it comes to destination inspiration, Google revealed Columbia, South Carolina, was the top trending destination for Thanksgiving in the United States, followed by Bozeman, Montana, and Spokane, Washington. For Christmas and New Year’s, Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro was the top trending international destination, followed by a beach getaway to Saint Lucia and a jaunt to Marrakesh.
“It’s no surprise that with colder temperatures on the horizon for many parts of the U.S., travelers are opting for palm trees over fir trees,” Google noted, adding “Whether you’re visiting family or looking for an overseas getaway, saving money on your holiday travel is always a great feeling.”
Beyond these, there are incredible destinations all around the globe to spend the December holidays on the road from skiing in Jackson Hole and seeing the holiday window displays in New York City to enjoying the sandy beaches of the Florida Keys, roaming the Christmas markets in Austria, and more.
