Every year, millions of people travel for the holiday season, and it can take some navigating to get the best fares at the best times. To start with, It helps if you make flight reservations as soon as feasible - certainly before Thanksgiving and in the case of an international flight ideally at least two months ahead or more. Most airlines give their best Christmas travel pricing between August and September.
Since holiday dates varies yearly, picking the best flying days might be tricky (if Christmas falls on a Saturday, for example, it can add an extra layer of complexity). Saturday, adding an extra layer of complexity. The number of passengers and the price of airfare might vary significantly on different days of the week. Information about the best and worst days to fly over the holidays, long in advance to schedule your trip, can be found in this handy guide. Please refer to their comprehensive best and worst days to fly a guide for the other days of the year.
When Is the Best Time to Reserve Holiday Flights?
Reservations for international and U.S. domestic flights (revenue and award tickets) often become available 11 months in advance. In contrast, domestic flights should be with caution if you plan to travel during the shoulder seasons. Most people find the best deals on international flights right at the start of the booking period. It's common for the price of domestic flights to be higher when they first go on sale and then decrease after some time has passed. Because of this, it is recommended that you book your foreign ticket well in advance of your domestic journey, particularly during the holidays.
The Best and Worst Days of the Holiday Season to Fly
Christmas presents a unique set of challenges. Below are the best and worst days to shop and travel over the holidays. They analyzed hundreds of airline pricing data points Christmas to develop their best and worst dates projection. The many cities in the United States included in their sample were both points of departure and arrival.
The days leading up to and including Christmas see a significant rise in airport passenger volume, whereas Christmas Eve and Christmas Day tend to see much lower passenger volumes. The farther you are from the vacation, the fewer people there will be.
Before December 25th, the busiest day tends to be December 23rd, while on the 24th airline traffic is light since few want to travel on Christmas Eve.
Once again, the most popular day to travel in 2020 was Wednesday, December 23rd, the day before Christmas Eve. Despite being a few days after the actual holiday, Friday, December 20th was the busiest travel day in 2019, demonstrating that people were anxious to begin their festivities as soon as the work week concluded.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving (usually a Thursday) is traditionally the busiest day to travel in advance of the holiday, much like the day before Christmas Eve.
The Best and Cheapest Times to Take a Christmas Vacation Flight
If your Monday-through-Friday work schedule conflicts with federal holidays, go Friday, December 23rd after work (Christmas is on Monday, December 26th, this year). If you plan your ticket around certain times, you'll face a busy airport and pay extra.
- However, if you have any leeway in your schedule, you might consider the following alternative departure days to Friday.
- Earlier in the week is ideal if you can work from home or take time off. Flyus travel data suggests that passengers may save up to 35% by departing earlier in the week than on the Thursday or Friday before Christmas.
- According to Flyus travel, they are taking round-trip airfare from the Indian travel agencies in USA, Mexico, on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday before Christmas is $200 cheaper per person than taking the same route on the Thursday or Friday before Christmas.
- Flyus travel analyzed passenger records for the seven days before and after Christmas over the previous three years to find out how busy the airports and checkpoints tend to be on Christmas Day. The day of Christmas itself always had the fewest drivers on the road.
- With minimal crowds and joyous spirits, Christmas Day flying wouldn't be so bad. If you take the first flight of the day, you may cook your holiday dinner.
- If you must arrive by Christmas, leave on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is busier than Christmas Day, but less so than the days before.
- Flying out on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, November 20–22, will allow you to spend more time with loved ones (or more time touring if you're going on a nontraditional vacation) and less time waiting in lines dealing with harried fellow travelers. If you're flexible with your travel dates, November 24th flights might be the most cost-effective option.
- These are the most significant and cheapest dates that will send you home feeling full and gluttonous: This is next Friday, November 25th (hum, Black Friday: maybe go for the duty-free deals instead?)
- You may save money on airfare by departing on the following dates: Sunday, December 18th; Monday, December 19th; Tuesday, December 20th; Saturday, December 24th (yes, it's Christmas Eve, and many people won't be booking this ticket); Sunday, December 25th (Christmas Day? There's never been a better time to buy because everything is cheap.
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