Dear reader you might be saying, wait a minute! We’ve barely entered autumn and you want me to think about my holiday flights? The short answer is yes! You should be thinking about holiday flights right now!
If you take a look at the CheapAir Holiday Flights page, you’ll see that prices start to climb for the holidays in October, and then steeply shoot up in November. Let’s break it down quickly so you see what we mean and can get to flight shopping before the end of the week!
Thanksgiving Flights
On average, Thanksgiving flights purchased in September cost $393.
Waiting until October will mean that on average, you’ll pay an additional $37 per ticket.
Delay your purchase until November and you can expect to pay 22% more per ticket, or about $107 dollars more overall.
Christmas Flights
Christmas week flights show a similar pattern. On average, those flights purchased in September cost $411.
Our research shows a slight bump in October, with flights inching upwards only about $5 overall.
In November, we see more of a jump – with most flights jumping up around $50 – or about 12%.
Waiting until December to buy is a pricier proposition. You’ll spend, on average, almost $120 more than if you bought in September.
One more thing. Keep in mind that your choices diminish as we get closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Simply, while flights are selling out and the best seats are being snatched up, the prices are continuing to climb. So you may end up paying more for much less desirable seats – center seats in Economy versus the aisle or window that you might have been able to buy the earlier you shopped. Don’t forget that CheapAir.com has Price Drop Payback, so if you buy your ticket and the price goes down, we’ll reimburse you up to $100 per ticket.
