Summary
If you’re planning to travel this holiday season, you might wonder when is the best time to snag a great deal on a flight. Fortunately, a recent study from Google can shed light on this topic. Here’s when you should start looking to lock in the best prices.
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Are you planning to travel over the Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday this year? If so, Google Flights has new details on when you’re most likely to snag a great deal. However, pay attention because this week might be the best time to act.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
Before we dig into the data, it’s important to note that this information is based on averages and trends. The lowest price on a particular flight will vary depending on your destination and your airline.
The data from Google Flights indicates that if you plan to travel to Europe, prices tend to start increasing 72 days before departure. Since today is 72 days before Thanksgiving, it’s time to think about locking in your flight if you’re planning an international trip. You do have more time if your trip will be around Christmas, but you should start watching prices now.
For domestic flights, Google’s data found the typical low price range runs from 78 days to 54 days before departure, with the lowest price coming 71 days out. That means we’re now in the low price range for Thanksgiving and around 3 weeks from the best time for flights at Christmas.
If you want to use Google Flights to help make your travel plans, Google has announced this data is now integrated into the site. Google can let you know if the price is likely to drop in the future or if you should book it now. The site also allows you to set price tracking notifications and some flights even come with a price drop guarantee.