By Laurie Baratti, TravelPulse (TNS)

The end-of-year holidays are fast approaching and, whether you’re planning a traditional trip back to the family homestead or an escape to a sun-drenched beach, having the inside track on when and how to book your holiday travel can save you substantial amounts of stress and money. But the windows for snagging flight deals for the upcoming holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s, are by and large closed by the end of October.

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One bit of good news is that the holiday airfares out there have dipped across the board this year, compared with the same period in 2023. According to Kayak’s holiday travel report, average air travel costs around the Thanksgiving holiday have fallen 6%, while the December holidays are coming in around 9% lower than last year. You can also save money by booking strategically.

When to fly for Thanksgiving

In terms of when is best to travel for Thanksgiving, both in terms of securing the least expensive airfare and avoiding the crowds, an ideal strategy is to travel on the holiday itself. This could potentially save you hundreds of dollars on airplane tickets and also make for the least stressful airport experience. According to Hopper, most travelers will be flying either the Saturday prior (November 23) or the day before Thanksgiving (November 27) and returning home on Sunday, December 1.

Meanwhile, departing on Thanksgiving Day (November 28) and returning on Tuesday, December 3, is likely to result in fewer crowds and as much as 34% saving on airfare.

Tips for booking Christmas travel

For Christmas flights, Hopper revealed that pricing will be at its lowest point during the final two weeks of October. Likewise, Kayak’s data indicated that travelers will need to book at least two months in advance if they hope to find affordable domestic airfare for any of the December holidays.

But, come late November, ticket prices will start to soar, rising by more than 32% in the last three to four weeks before the holiday arrives. So, if you’re hoping to snag reasonably priced seats (or find any seats at all still available), it’s wise to book sooner rather than later.

When to fly for Christmas

According to Hopper, travelers’ best bet for Christmas travel is also to travel on the holiday itself — either Christmas Eve (December 24) or Christmas Day (December 25) — if they’re looking to avoid congestion and score cheaper airfare. Returning home on New Year’s Eve (December 31) will also help accomplish both of these objectives. By flying on the holidays themselves, passengers can save themselves as much as 34% on their plane tickets.

Conversely, the worst days to depart on your Christmas journeys are Friday, December 20, or Saturday, December 21, with return trips on either Saturday, December 28, or Sunday, December 29.

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