Somehow, summer's done. Kids are heading back to school, beach days are becoming more scarce, and your family has started to text about when they can expect you this holiday season. If you are beginning to worry about the financial hoops you will need to jump through to afford flights to see family and then (hopefully) flights to some bucket list location—don't worry. We've got the inside information from Google Flights to help you book the cheapest flights for holiday travel.
In the Google Flights 2024 holiday trend report, we got insight on the best time to book the cheapest domestic and international flights, plus other booking details that will help you save money so that you can afford your trip home and your trip to a dream destination.
How far in advance should you book your trip?
The best time to book domestic flights for the 2024 holiday season is about five and a half weeks beforehand. Google data shows that average flight prices have historically been the lowest 38 days before departure. Based on historical data, you can find low prices between 21 and 52 days before departure.
For international flights, however, the lowest flight prices have historically been 101 days before departure. In general, the further in advance you book, the better. Historical data shows that low international flight prices can be found 50 days or more before departure.
Naturally, if you are planning to travel internationally, you want to follow the golden rule of booking flights as far out in advance as possible. Google Flight's data shows that flights from the US to Europe tend to be cheapest 94 days in advance. For flights to Mexico and the Caribbean, the window is a bit shorter. You can book the cheapest flights to Mexico and the Caribbean 44 days in advance.
Does the cheapest time to book change for holidays?
These suggested time frames vary, of course, based on when and where you plan to travel. For the two biggest US winter holidays, Christmas and Thanksgiving, Google narrowed down the windows for booking domestic flights.
Thanksgiving trips are cheapest 45 days before departure, and the low prices are in a range between 26 and 59 days out. Overall, the best time to book Thanksgiving 2024 flights is in early October.
Christmas trips require a bit more advanced planning than Thanksgiving flights. The cheapest Christmas flights have historically been booked 58 days in advance, with low prices being booked between 36 and 72 days in advance. Your best bet is to find cheap flights in the last weeks of October.
This advice all lines up with previous advice on booking cheap flights this year. In fact, data from Hopper says that one of the best days of the year to book cheap flights is October 31, 2024, which is a good time to book your Christmas flights.
Which day of the week should you book flights?
We already know that there are differing schools of thought on the cheapest day to book flights. According to a study from Upgraded Points, the cheapest day to book is generally Tuesday. Google Flight data supports that but says that the day of the week you book a flight tends to only impact the flight price by about 1.3%.
What can make a much bigger difference on price are two other factors: the day you fly and whether or not you take nonstop flights. According to Google, flying on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday is 13% cheaper than flying on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Connecting flights are also generally 20% cheaper compared to nonstop flights.
Looking for more travel tips?
Whether you need help sneaking weed onto a plane, finding an airport where you can sign up for PreCheck without an appointment, or making sure you’re getting everything you’re entitled to when your flight is canceled, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading for up-to-date travel hacks and all the travel news you need to help you plan your next big adventure.
Opheli Garcia Lawler is a Senior Staff Writer at Thrillist. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree in Journalism from NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She's worked in digital media for eight years, and before working at Thrillist, she wrote for Mic, The Cut, The Fader, Vice, and other publications. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.
