As the holiday season approaches, travelers are encouraged to secure their flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Experts suggest monitoring flight prices and adopting a "Goldilocks approach"—not too early, not too late—when booking flights.
The optimal window for booking holiday flights typically begins between October 28 and November 19. Data from Google Flights indicates that the best time to purchase airline tickets is about 58 days prior to departure. Therefore, travelers hoping to arrive by Christmas should start considering their bookings now, as prices begin to rise around late October.
James Byers, a product manager at Google, advises that the best time frame for booking Christmas trips is from mid-October to mid-November. Travelers planning Thanksgiving trips are urged to book this week, as every day beyond October 22 tends to see price increases.
To save money on flights, experts recommend utilizing technology such as price alerts. Setting alerts through platforms like Google Flights can help travelers stay informed about price fluctuations, as Brian Kelly noted: “When you start seeing prices go up, in general, they will keep going up. Procrastinating for holiday travel is not a good strategy.”
For those preparing for holiday travel, now is the time to act.