It's getting late: How to book the cheapest flights for the holidays, according to experts
The holiday season may seem like it’s still weeks away but the time to start booking your travel plans is now.
“Generally, you really want to be around two months in advance,” Jake Bouvrie, KAYAK’s Chief Economist, told USA TODAY. “For Thanksgiving, the best time is now.”
While many of us cringe at high holiday pricing, there’s some good news this year: domestic prices are down across the board this year, Bouvrie added. “Last year was an awfully expensive high watermark,” he said.
Hopper’s Lead Economist Haley Berg agreed, pointing to the travel app’s 2023 Holiday Travel Outlook.
This Thanksgiving, airfare is averaging 14% less than last year and car rentals are down 17% – which is good news for travelers wanting to make a long weekend out of the holiday. For Christmas, airfare is down 12% from last year.
Here are some expert tips on saving the most money as you book your holiday travels:
More: Taking a trip this fall? Here's the one travel tip you should follow
Is this holiday season going to be busy?
According to travel experts, demand is high this holiday season, especially given that Christmas and New Year’s land on weekends. According to a survey by Hopper, 86% of holiday travelers plan to fly for one or both holidays this year.
When should I book holiday travel?
You can get some of the best fares if you purchase around 50 days in advance, according to Bouvrie. You should try to book all your holiday travel plans before the end of October.
That means it’s time to start booking Thanksgiving flights now.
For Christmas, Hopper recommends travelers book airfare before Oct. 14. Airfare will be volatile but still low during this time, so you should monitor prices using a flight tracker.
KAYAK gives a few more days, suggesting that travelers should buy by Oct. 24 – this is when prices were the cheapest in 2023.
When is the cheapest time to travel this holiday season?
Those who are flexible with their travel dates will save the most money this holiday season, Bouvrie said. Travelers can use the KAYAK Best Time to Travel tool to find out what days to book for their route.
For Thanksgiving, Hopper said that the cheapest day to travel right now is Nov. 20, the Sunday before the holiday – you could save up to 13% on your flight. To return home, consider flying back on Nov. 21 or, if you can, wait until Nov. 27 to save the most money.
For Christmastime, you’ll save the most money flying on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day proper.
If you don’t want to be traveling on the holiday itself, Hopper found that flying out on Dec. 18 or 19 and returning home midweek after Christmas – which lands on a Monday – is budget-friendly.
When is the worst time to travel this holiday season?
For Thanksgiving, Berg found the most expensive day to travel is Nov. 26, the Sunday after the holiday. Flights will be 40% more expensive on this day compared to the next day, and airports will be slammed.
“Definitely avoid traveling on Dec. 22,” Bouvrie said. “That’s the busiest travel day.” It will also be the most expensive day.
Returning home on Dec. 26, the day after Christmas, is also going to be pricey, according to Hopper – you’ll be paying a 7% premium.
What are the busiest airports this holiday season?
During Thanksgiving, KAYAK anticipates the busiest airports to be:
◾ Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
◾ San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
◾ Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
◾ Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
◾ Denver International Airport (DEN)
In December, the busiest airports will be:
◾ Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
◾ San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
◾ Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
◾ Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
◾ John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Consider flying to a nearby airport to possibly save a little money – and stress, Bouvrie said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Holiday travel 2023: Cheapest days to travel, busiest airports
