Christmas and New Year are the most celebrated holidays in the world. Which means they're peak times for travel. So, what should you remember? Flights will cost more, and booking in advance is even more critical.
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Christmas and New Year are the most celebrated holidays in the world. Which means they're peak times for travel. So, what should you remember? Flights will cost more, and booking in advance is even more critical.
Set your calendar for early OctoberFor 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).
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.
As time goes on, more airlines will begin to release their flights for 2024. If you want to fly sooner, most airlines have already released their flights for the end of the year too. Generally, flights are available to book around 11 months in advance, although it will differ from airline to airline.
Is there a cheapest month to fly? If you're looking for a bargain month to travel, February is your best bet. Flights in January closely follow February for being most affordable. At the other end of the spectrum, December and July are the first and second most expensive months to travel, on average.
“In 2023, we expect that [trend] to reverse and year-over-year fares to fall,” Keyes said, pointing to Federal Reserve data indicating recent, modest drops in airfare—a shift that comes as airlines have begun to add more flights, fueling competition.
The holidays are always going to be the busiest times to travel because everyone is trying to get somewhere to celebrate. Prices tend to be higher, but that's not the only reason this is the worst time to fly. The holidays are jam-packed with travelers, and not just in the busiest airports in the world.
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.
Traveling on Christmas Eve: If it's important that you're at your destination by Christmas morning, then leaving on Christmas Eve is your best move. While crowds are heavier than Christmas Day, Christmas Eve is typically the least-crowded day of the seven days ahead of the holiday.
Domestic round-trip airfare for Thanksgiving is currently around $270 on average.For Christmas, domestic round-trip flights are hovering at $400 on average, per Hopper.
Why are flights so expensive in 2023? Flights cost even more in early 2023 than they do now. Factors such as fuel costs, staffing shortages, aging IT infrastructure and hidden fees all contribute to expensive flights in 2023.