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Best time to book a trip for the holidays

Top 10 destinations and tips when booking flights

A plane lands at Denver International Airport on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, in Denver. (Thomas Peipert /AP Photo) (Thomas Peipert, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Now that the kids are back in school, maybe it’s time to start thinking about those holiday travel plans.

Google is giving us some insight when it comes to travel trends, and best times to book flights for both the holidays and throughout the year. For starters, let’s take a look and see if these top destinations are making your list this holiday season.

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Top 10 destinations for Thanksgiving and Christmas:

  1. Orlando
  2. Cancun
  3. New York
  4. Tokyo
  5. London
  6. Miami
  7. Paris
  8. Los Angeles
  9. Las Vegas
  10. Honolulu

Top 10 destinations for Christmas & New Year’s Eve:

  1. Tokyo
  2. Orlando
  3. Cancun
  4. Miami
  5. New York
  6. London
  7. San Juan
  8. Honolulu
  9. Paris
  10. Las Vegas

Google also shared when it’s best to score cheap flights, especially if you need to be on a specific flight.

According to the data, U.S. travelers who book domestic trips score the lowest prices 38 days before departure, on average. The historical low-price range is 21-52 days before takeoff.

For international flights, data shows it’s better to book as early as possible, with average prices at the lowest 101 days before departure. The historical low-price range is 50 days or more before takeoff.

If you’re planning a trip somewhere around the U.S. for Thanksgiving, prices tend to be the lowest 45 days before departure, with a range of 26 to 59 days out. Booking as early as October will save you some cash.

At Christmas, it’s best to plan further ahead with prices for domestic flights at the lowest 58 days prior to departure, with a range of 26 to 59 days out. The best time to book a cheap flight around Christmas is the later part of October.

If you’re already in the mood for spring break trips in March or April, the lowest prices have been 44 days before departure, and the low-price range is 35 to 59 days out.

If you’re curious about which days of the week are best to book, google says there’s not much benefit to buying your tickets on a certain day. Data does show that Tuesday has historically been the cheapest day to book. It’s 1.3% cheaper than the most expensive day which is Sunday.

Last but not least, the cheapest days of the week to fly are Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday which have been 13% cheaper than flying on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.