Google Advises Early Booking for Cheaper Thanksgiving and Christmas Flights

Holiday airfares are climbing, making it crucial to book flights early this year. According to Google Flights, the best deals for Thanksgiving travel will appear in October. Specifically, the lowest fares for flights around Nov. 26 are expected to be available 34 days before departure, with the optimal booking window between 57 and 21 days prior. This means the best day to book for Thanksgiving travel is around Oct. 22.

For Christmas flights, Google Flights recommends booking by around Halloween. The cheapest fares will be available 56 days before departure, with the best deals emerging between late October and mid-November. As of Oct. 5, there are roughly 80 days before Christmas, so travelers should act soon to secure the best prices.

Experts also suggest traveling off-peak to save money. Data from Hopper shows that flying on Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving, rather than Wednesday, can yield savings. Similarly, avoiding flights on Dec. 18, 19, 20, and Dec. 27 around Christmas can help travelers save.

The rise in airfares is partly due to the Iran war, which has driven up oil and jet fuel prices. Before the Middle East conflict began in late February, jet fuel averaged $99 per barrel globally. It peaked at $209 in April and hit $195 a barrel in mid-September, according to the International Air Transport Association. Hopper data shows that domestic round-trip airfares for Thanksgiving are averaging $402, up 31% from last year, while Christmas flights are averaging $452, up 23% from last year.