When is the cheapest time to fly?
Flying during the holidays is a necessary nightmare for millions of travelers across the globe. To spend time with loved ones, holiday travel is required. Not only is it crowded and hectic, but the cost of flying during the holidays can be astronomical if you don't know how to shop smart. We have a few tips for finding the best deals when flying during the holidays.
Thanksgiving Flights
Airlines are aware that those flying for Thanksgiving have less flexibility in their travel dates than when they travel at other times of the year. After all, most people don’t get extra vacation days off during the Thanksgiving holiday. Thus, the bulk of airport traffic happens on the Wednesday before the holiday and the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
You can save money on Thanksgiving flights by traveling on Thanksgiving morning and extending your trip to the middle of the week after the holiday. You can even cut your vacation a day short to save a little cash if you can’t afford to take extra days off from work.
Christmas Flights
Christmas fliers get a bit of calendar luck on their side this year, as Christmas falls on a Tuesday, giving fliers a few off-peak travel days to consider. As always, the day before Christmas Eve and early Christmas Eve flights are the most expensive, while return flights peak the day after New Year’s Day. Traveling on the Saturday before Christmas can help you save significantly on your flight.
Experts also advise that Christmas fliers consider booking their flights before November 25th, after which ticket prices traditionally soar. There is some good news for procrastinators, though. If you aren’t picky about where you fly out of locally, where you fly into locally, or the seat you have on the plane, you can gobble up last minute deals in the week leading up to the Christmas holiday. Remember though; you might be gambling on getting a flight if you wait for this week, so only do so if you are flexible with your travel plans.
Saving Money when Flying During the Holidays
To save a little cash while you’re traveling, consider shipping presents ahead of you, so you don’t pay fees for additional baggage. You can even take advantage of gift-wrap services and free shipping by sending any online purchases to the location where you’ll be spending your holidays. If you are worried about people peaking in on gifts, you can also have your gifts sent to an Amazon locker at your destination location if you plan to arrive before the holiday.
Another travel saving tip is to avoid flying altogether. Train tickets to relatively close destinations stay stable across the holiday season. If you have a few extra hours to spare, you might be able to save a bundle on your travel costs, as long as you aren’t headed too far away.
Early morning flights are generally cheaper and on-time, while afternoon and evening flights suffer from price inflation and crowded airports. Late flights are also more likely to be delayed as trickle-down delays are more likely to leave you stranded on the tarmac.