Report Suggests Booking Christmas Flights Before Thanksgiving Travel

It’s never too early to start booking your holiday travel, and customers are being advised to book their Christmas trip before their Thanksgiving journey this year.

According to airfare prediction app Hopper, prices for the notoriously expensive Thanksgiving travel season won’t change too much in October, but they are expected to make a major jump following the Halloween holiday.

Currently, domestic Thanksgiving flights average $323 for a round-trip ticket, but they will climb an estimated $1.50 per day after Oct. 31. In the last 10 days before Thanksgiving, the prices are expected to rise as much as $6 per day.

On the other hand, prices for Christmas flights are expected to start going up starting immediately in October, and Hopper.com believes the best time to buy your tickets for Christmas is around 80 days before the holiday.

As compared to last year, the average prices right now for Christmas travel are 12 percent below 2015’s averages.

The current average price for domestic Christmas flights is around $304 for a round-trip ticket, and the airfares are expected to rise by $1.50 per day moving forward. Prices for flights on Christmas can be as much as 75 percent more than non-holiday tickets.

To save the most money, travelers who are willing to be flexible with their willingness to fly on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Year's Eve could find the best discounts. The next best option for holiday travel is to depart on Dec. 20 and return on Jan. 5.

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