The holiday travel season begins in nearly two months. Airlines are beginning to gear up for a jump in holiday season travel from prior years as the economy continues to show improvements and consumer surveys indicate momentum. What do you need to know to lock-in the low fares?
Purchase your ticket now
The earlier you purchase, the cheaper the price of the ticket. Air travel during the peak holiday season will already be higher than during normal periods of traffic, but the price will begin rising quickly. If the forecasts hold, there will be less inventory this year than in prior years. Thus, it’s likely that the price you pay this year for similar travel, will cost more than in the prior years.
Book and fly on a Tuesday
Airfares are cheapest when you book on Tuesday. Every airline is different and pricing can be dependent on many factors such as the airline, time of year, and travel route. However, on average the sales begin late Monday night and are matched by competitors on Tuesdays. The savings varies, but can be as high as 15 to 20%. The worst days to book are on the weekends because the airlines rarely reset pricing then. The cheapest times to travel are at the crack of dawn (best) or after dinner. The mid-morning and mid-afternoon flights are usually the most expensive.
What about for Thanksgiving travel?
Book your departure on a Tuesday as the price can be 20% less than on Wednesday or another day. Christmas fares can fluctuate significantly as they are highly dependent on the route and the carrier.
Other options to consider
We know most people prefer to fly direct. If that’s the case, you can still save money by flying out of a different airport that you may not have thought of flying out of in the past. There are many smaller regional airports that may still fly direct to your desired destination. The same logic applies for using different carriers. It’s certainly possible to end up with a cheaper overall flight by using multiple carriers for the different legs of your trip.
More questions? Browse answers or money saving questions online
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