Is Booking Travel Cheaper in the Fall? Why You Should Book Soon
Travel prices, especially flights, tend to rise as the winter holidays approach and people want to fly home to visit family. But nestled between pricey summer vacations and holiday getaways sits the unsung hero of cheap travel: autumn.
If you’re wondering how to find a cheaper flight, you should know that prices for domestic flights fell 25% in late August compared to May. Travel website Hopper predicts that average airfare will hover below $300 through September and then rise in October and November, before it peaks during the December holidays, Forbes reported.
Read: How To Get Cash Back on Your Everyday Purchases
What’s the key takeaway if you are looking to travel cheaper? Book early. You might even be able to snag domestic airline tickets for a December getaway for under $50 roundtrip if you book in the fall.
But if you can get the time off work right now, the weather is perfect to visit many U.S. or international cities.
How To Find a Cheaper Flight
Leverage technology to find the cheapest flights as you plan your fall getaway. Google Flights recently introduced a host of features designed to make it easy to travel cheaper, including:
Historical insights on the cheapest time to book a flight to your chosen destination
Price tracking and alerts
Price guarantees on select domestic flights
Cheap Flights to US Cities
We used Google Flights to find some of the cheapest non-stop domestic fares right now, for those with flexibility in their travel schedule. Whether it’s a relaxing getaway to the beaches of southern Florida or leaf-peeping in Central Park, you’ll find plenty to do in these top tourist destinations. Here are some flight to give you an idea.
Washington, D.C. to Miami (Dec. 2, 2023 – Dec. 9, 2023)
$70 on Frontier Airlines
There’s something about celebrating the holiday season in sunny Miami, relaxing on white sand beaches with a beverage in your hand. Book a getaway now and be home in plenty of time to put up your Christmas tree.
New York to Orlando (Dec. 5, 2023 – Dec. 10, 2023)
$81 on on Frontier Airlines
Whether you have your sights set on Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, or explore Florida beyond theme parks, you can book a cheap flight soon for early travel in December.
New York to Austin (Dec. 2, 2023 – Dec. 9, 2023)
$108 on Spirit Airlines
Celebrate Octoberfest at one of Austin’s renowned craft breweries, camp and hike in picturesque state parks. There’s so much to see and do in Austin, and the prices on flights right now will leave you with plenty of spending cash to support local merchants, bars, and restaurants.
Los Angeles to New York (Dec. 24, 2023 – Jan. 5, 2023)
$198 on Spirit Airlines
New York City comes to life around the holidays. Take in top tourist attractions, museums, shows, delis and more. You’ll be there for all the action on the Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve when the ball drops at Times Square.
Los Angeles to Las Vegas (Dec. 8, 2023 – Dec. 10, 2023)
$20 on Spirit Airlines
Flights to Las Vegas are often less expensive than other cities. But you really can’t beat a trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for the weekend under $50. You might spend more than that on gas if you decided to drive, instead.
Book Early (But Not Too Early) for December Holiday Travel
According to recent Google Flights data and our research in late September, holiday airfare prices may still drop. A Google Flights analysis reported by 9to5Google.com showed that average prices to most locations for trips starting in mid-December will be lowest in early October.
Google Flights data showed that average prices should be lowest 71 days before your trip, with low fares to be found between 54 and 78 days prior to travel.
Similarly, if you’re looking to travel to Europe in December, you’ll want to book roughly 72 days before your trip. But don’t wait much longer, because prices may start to rise dramatically once you’re less than 10 weeks out.
Ideally, you’ll have the cash ready to book your flight once the price drops or you can use a travel rewards credit card to earn points toward your hotel stay or your next trip.
Travel Cheaper and Other Benefits of Booking Your Vacation in the Fall
If you’re not tapped out, financially, from your summer getaways or starting to save money for the holidays, fall can be a fantastic time to travel. Not only are airline prices lower, but top tourist attractions may be less crowded. It might even be easier to get time off work since most people aren’t requesting vacation in October and early November.
Plus, you can experience spectacular foliage, local Halloween traditions, or warm weather on tropical beaches without the crowds.
Bottom Line
Depending on where you’re traveling and when you book, fall travel can be cheaper than summer — especially if you avoid the peak holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Using Google Flights, GOBankingRates found several cheap flights to top U.S. destinations during Halloween as well as other weeks in the fall.
FAQ
How can I find the cheapest flight prices?
To find the cheapest flights, begin monitoring prices a few months before your trip. Set the dates you'd like to fly and where you want to travel. Then, set up price alerts on Google Flights or your travel website of choice. For instance, you can use Hopper's "Watch" feature to alert you when the flight you want to purchase drops in price.
You can also use Google Flight's insights to decide if you should pounce on your tickets now or wait for prices to drop. If you click on a flight you want, Google Flights will tell you if prices are high, average, or low for your route right now. Click the arrow next to the data and Google will share the least expensive prices for similar trips. This data may not be available for every route, but Google keeps adding information.
What is the cheapest day to buy plane tickets?
Google Flights recently debunked the widely held belief that it is cheaper to buy plane tickets on Tuesdays. In fact, there was only a 1.9% price difference between booking on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday versus booking on the weekend.
Keep an eye out for pricing errors, great sales or random price drops any day of the week.
Melanie Grafil contributed to the reporting for this article.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Is Booking Travel Cheaper in the Fall? Why You Should Book Soon