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Savvy Traveler: Book Your Holiday Flights Between These Two Dates

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Looking to save money on airfare when you fly home for the holidays? Book your flights between September 25 and October 31. That’s the sweet spot, according to separate analyses by the AAA and Hopper, a Boston-based airfare prediction website and app (available in the Apple and Google Play stores).

A recent analysis of AAA Travel’s flight booking data from the last three years reveals that September 25 marks the start of the best booking window for air travel around both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

“Holiday travelers should make their plans now and begin booking their flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas as early as Wednesday, September 25 for the best deals and availability,” said Paula Twidale, vice president, AAA Travel. Procrastinators should not wait for last-minute deals on flights close to the holidays, says Twidale, because “flight availability for these peak travel weeks will be very limited by that time.”

For the cheapest holiday flight prices, the booking window ends on Halloween, says Hayley Berg, economist for Hopper. “We recommend travelers try to book as early as possible with October 31 being a good marker date. If consumers see a price they really like or have a specific flight date and time they want for the holidays, we recommend booking as soon as you see that price,” she says. “Using a price tracker like Hopper is a great way to make sure that you are not paying too much and to assuage fears of not booking too late, but also not paying too much.”

AAA found that 61 to 90 days prior to the holiday (between Sept. 26 and Oct. 25) is the ideal booking window for Christmas flight bookings, with prices lower on average ($551) than more advanced bookings. Travelers who wait a bit longer and book between 28 and 60 days before Christmas — between Oct. 26 and Nov. 27 — can still get a relatively good price ($561 on average), according to the AAA’s study. But, again, waiting longer increases the risk of not being able to find any availability on the flights you want.

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