How to fly cheap in December?

As it's a busy time of year, December flight prices tend to go up in the days around Christmas. But if you're flexible with flight and trip duration, and you book well in advance, you can usually bag a brilliant deal.



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Tickets are also cheaper in August than during the December rush. For the lowest fares on domestic flights, travel in January or February. But for international trips, you'll find the cheapest fare in August.

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Domestic airfare is averaging around $400 round-trip, which is down 12% from last year. The cheapest day to depart will be Dec. 19, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Leaving on a holiday itself can save 26%.

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According to Going's analysis, travelers want to look for the so-called Goldilocks Window (not too early, not too late) to get the cheapest airfare. For domestic flights, Keyes said that's one to three months in advance for off-peak trips and three to six months for peak-season travel, such as Christmas and New Year's.

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“Prices will start to rise after about Oct. 14th for both Thanksgiving and Christmas trips,” Berg said. “Plan to book as soon as possible, as prices will rise each day as the holidays approach.” Flight prices are likely to spike significantly each day in the last three weeks ahead of each holiday, Hopper anticipates.

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The cheapest months to travel are:
  • November – early December.
  • Late January – March.


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For Christmas, opting to fly on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) can help you save 26% on domestic airfares, according to Priceline data. If you don't want to fly on Christmas Eve, traveling between Dec. 18 and Dec. 20 may help you save up to 15%.

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Top 3 Cheapest Airlines in the US
  • #1 Frontier Airlines. What is the cheapest airline in the US? ...
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Domestic flight prices for trips during the 2023 holiday season are on an uphill climb until the new year, according to an industry economist.

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Set your calendar for early October For Christmas 2023, that means the typical low prices for airfare should occur around the first week of October through the end of the month. According to Google, Oct. 12 should have the lowest airfare for those who want to travel the Friday before Christmas (Dec. 22).

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Timing plays an important part. Specifically, plane tickets usually don't get cheaper closer to the departure date. Instead, flights tend to be the most inexpensive when you book between four months and three weeks before your departure date.

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Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly domestically. The cheapest days to depart if you're flying within the U.S. are midweek — generally Tuesday or Wednesday. For economy tickets, Tuesdays are about 24% lower than peak prices on Sundays, which translates to savings of about $85 per ticket.

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Generally, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the cheapest days to fly, while Fridays and Sundays are pricier, according to travel deal site FareCompare. Leisure travelers tend to fly on the weekends, either starting their vacations on Friday or taking a long weekend Friday to Sunday.

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Flights typically open for booking 331 days in advance, and from then until about 21 days before departure, the price is the least expensive you'll find — after which they raise ticket prices at 14 days, and again at seven days. Research shows that the sweet spot for finding low fares is 44 days before your flight.

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Time your booking right
“For domestic flights, if you're talking peak season, it's about three to seven months in advance,” he says. “For international flights — [it's] four to 10 months.”

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