It’s a topic that leaves many travelers in a holding pattern (bad pun intended). When should I book? What are the best days to travel? We analyzed over a billion search queries on KAYAK for the last year and have a two-part answer for you (the holiday season differs from the rest of the year).
With the holiday season upon us, we’ll go there first. Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to save enough on travel to really spoil your loved ones.
- Book now! Both domestic and international flights begin to rise steeply come mid-November.
- For domestic flights, departing on Tuesday, 12/25 and returning on Friday, 12/28 could save you up to 21%.
- You can save at least 20% on international travel by departing close to or on 12/25 and returning close to New Year’s Eve.
- This year, travelers could be paying 27% more by departing on Saturday, 12/22 and returning on Saturday, 12/29. If you can, fly during the week to save some money.
- For New Year’s travel, consider departing on New Year’s Eve and returning on Thursday, 1/3 or Friday, 1/4 to save up to 27%.
For general year round travel, the lowest average domestic airfares are found 21 days prior to departure while international airfares are at their lowest point 34 days out. Here are some additional travel secrets:
- Don’t book too early: the average domestic fare found six months before a departure date was 19% higher than the 21 days out low.
- Travelers planning a weeklong domestic trip should depart on a Saturday and return on Monday to score the cheapest airfare (roughly 16% lower than average).
- For international weeklong trips, we recommend departing on a Tuesday and returning on Wednesday to save some $$. These flights were 21% lower than the average.
(Preview photo cred: iStock.com/ardaguldogan )
