Booking Family Holiday Travel? The Countdown Is on for the Best Airfare

Even though fall has officially arrived, you might not be thinking about the best time to book holiday flights—but the countdown to holiday travel has already begun. Read on to find out the best time to start booking those holiday flights.

You probably already know that flight prices seemingly change at the drop of hat, making the hunt for cheap airfare that much more difficult. Thankfully Hopper, a travel pricing and booking site, has our backs to help us figure things out. The experts at Hopper have spilled the beans on the best times to book your flights.

Photo: Gary Lopater via Unsplash

According to Hopper’s stats, Christmas-time flights change prices a whopping 152 times before the holidays. If you’re traveling to a popular destination or major hub, such as New York City or Los Angeles, you could see as many as 250 price changes before Santa parks his sleigh.

So when should you buy your Christmas travel tickets? According to last year’s data, Hopper says mid-October is the best time to book your flight. If you wait until the last two weeks before Christmas, expect to pay an average of $4 extra per day.

If you’re really looking to save some cash, consider flying to your destination on Dec. 18 and coming home on Jan. 4. Hopper predicts these travel days as the best picks to save you the most money on your holiday travel.

For those of you traveling during Hanukkah, you’re in luck, too. The holiday starts on Dec. 2 and ends on Dec. 10 this year—sandwiching it neatly in between Thanksgiving and Christmas, making it a relatively inexpensive time to travel.

—Erica Loop

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