Going to go home for the holidays? Better buy those tickets within the next two weeks. Going abroad then? You're already screwed.
Kayak emailed us a couple of weeks ago saying that it's time of the year again, you know, the mistletoe, your aunt-in-law's ham and exorbitant plane ticket prices. But how else are you going to see the fam bam? Considering its practically Thanksgiving already, it's time to act. (December 1 is actually Cyber Monday so if you want to stick around, we'll be rounding up a list of the best travel deals out there.)
Don't you love it when media organizations rehash press releases? Good. A Kayak spokeswoman said:
For domestic travel, we recommend booking 3 weeks in advance. Booking windows are tight, so look to the first week of December for savings around 5%. If you wait too long, mid-December fares begin to steadily increase and you could be looking at average fares that are as much as 36% above the average fare and 50% above the lowest average fare.
For international travel, similar to Thanksgiving, booking ASAP is the best way to go. Based on our 2013 data, average airfare rose more than $600 from July through the holiday. Those who wait until December to book travel abroad may see average fare increases as high as 33%, 16%, and 56% for Asia, the Caribbean and South America, respectively. Quick tip for the Caribbean: If you must wait until December to book, early December saw average fares decrease up to 10% for the region.
If you're looking to get crunk for New Year's Eve, it's better to hold off just a little bit longer. Said the ladies behind the door:
In this case, it's better to wait a tad: The lowest average fares for domestic travel were found in early December, saving travelers up to 10%. Just don't wait too long -- mid-December fares begin to climb and you could be looking at paying up to an 11% premium vs. the average fare.
There you have it.
