Booking your flights for holiday travel is a difficult game; it's all about timing [1] and knowing when to jump on fares. Luckily, airfare prediction app Hopper [2] released its Holiday Travel Index for 2017 [3], which reveals exactly when to fly and buy for Thanksgiving and Christmas. To prevent you from having to pay ridiculous costs, see its tips below.
- Make sure to book your Thanksgiving flights before Halloween [5]. Putting it off will cost you about $1 each day that you wait, and $10 per day during the final two weeks before Thanksgiving.
- The busiest and most expensive day to leave is Wednesday, Nov. 22. Departing on Thanksgiving morning can save you $54 or $48 by departing earlier in the week on Monday, Nov. 20.
- The busiest and most expensive day to return is Sunday, Nov. 26. You can save $161 if you come back on Wednesday, Nov. 29.
- The best time to book Christmas flights is the first week of October. Prices will begin to spike steadily 15 to 25 days before departure, and then dramatically in the last two weeks nearing the holiday.
- If your dates are flexible, leave on Tuesday, Dec. 19, and return Thursday, Jan. 4, to save the most money.