When to travel vacations and flights in 2024

If you want – or need – to travel this holiday season, start planning now because the best time to book Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s travel is fast approaching.

“The most important thing for travelers to think about is planning now and booking in October,” said Hayley Berg, chief economist at travel site Hopper. “The low price window is brief, but it can pay off.”

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But travelers who missed that window may have one last option: the so-called Travel Tuesday, which is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber ​​​​Monday.

That day, “pretty much the entire travel industry was sold,” Berg said.

Whenever you want to confirm your reservation, remember that traveling during the holidays can be fraught with trouble, says Sally French, a travel expert at NerdWallet.

“The holidays are a tough time to travel because you’re not only dealing with tougher holiday weather, but you’re also dealing with crowds,” French said.

Here’s how to make sure you get a good price.

Prices for holiday travel are slightly higher than this time last year, Berg said.

On average, round-trip flights for Thanksgiving — defined as departures from Nov. 24 to 28 — now cost about $298, according to Hopper’s 2024 Holiday Travel Outlook report. That’s up 10% from a year ago and 3% from pre-pandemic levels, the travel site found.

The price is expected to fall by an average of $40 to reach the lowest level in early October, when the price will match the level of 2023, the report noted.

Additionally, airfare for Christmas travel — defined as the week from December 21 to 25 — averaged $406 per round-trip booking, up 4% from a year ago and 13% from pre-pandemic, according to Hopper.

However, the price is expected to fall about $80 from the current level until it reaches its lowest point in October, according to the report.

“It’s really important for travelers to think about booking their travel now, so that when October rolls around, they’re ready,” Berg said.

If you are “super last minute and want to book something for Christmas or New Year,” according to Berg, “one good day to bookmark” is December 3, or this year Travel Tuesday.

“You might get lucky and … swing by something last minute,” says Berg, as the day’s deals can include major discounts on hotels, plane tickets and rental cars.

During the holiday season, disruptions occur more often because airlines and airports operate more flights than usual, and crowds can cause a “domino effect” of problems, experts say.

Example: if one plane 15 minutes late pulls away from the gate, that can affect the flow of air traffic for the entire terminal, said Berg.

But the “biggest risks” are usually bad weather and technical breakdowns, he said.

Here are four important things to consider:

• Avoid flying on peak days. For example, around Thanksgiving, avoid the Sunday before and after the holiday, experts say. In years past, the Sunday after Thanksgiving set records as the busiest day for flying, or the number of travelers passing through TSA checkpoints, French said.

• Take the first flight of the day. Try to book one of the first flights of the day so you won’t be affected by delays and cancellations, says Berg. You’re twice as likely to be affected by flight delays or cancellations after 8 a.m., he said.

• Allow time for delays and cancellations. If it is critical for you in your place, “bake in extra time to get there,” and travel a few days in advance, said French. “If it’s really important that you’re at the actual Christmas dinner, fly in a few days early,” he said.

• Expand your search. It can be helpful to know what other airports are nearby, French said. If you know other airports, it can help you find more affordable options. It might be a longer drive to get to your destination, but it might make sense if you’re critical, he said.