It’s been a busy week here at FoodFamilyTravel.com®.
Over the last several days, I’ve had the opportunity to join television stations in Atlanta, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Las Vegas to discuss the latest travel trends and answer one question that’s on many travelers’ minds right now:
When should you book your fall and holiday travel?
This morning, I joined Alex Whittler on FOX in Atlanta to talk about National Cheap Flight Day, which falls on August 23. But here’s the first thing I want travelers to know:
National Cheap Flight Day isn’t really a one-day event.
In fact, that’s probably the biggest misconception surrounding it.
Think of August 23 as the beginning of a booking window for off-peak travel, not a 24-hour airfare sale.
Historically, airfare often begins to ease around Labor Day, and travelers can sometimes find savings through roughly September 10 as the summer travel season winds down and demand shifts toward fall. In some cases, travelers may see savings of up to 20% on domestic flights and up to 40% on international flights for fall travel.
The important thing to remember is that there isn’t a magic date when airlines suddenly decide to slash prices.
National Cheap Flight Day is a reminder to start shopping, not a deadline to buy.
One of the biggest pieces of advice I’ve been sharing on television this week is to stop searching for a magical booking day.
The old travel myths don’t always apply anymore.
For years, travelers believed that Tuesday was the cheapest day to buy airline tickets. Today, airline pricing is much more dynamic. Fares are constantly changing based on demand, competition, available inventory, seasonality, and dozens of other factors (sometimes multiple times a day).
Instead of chasing a specific date on the calendar, I recommend doing three things right now.
First, start tracking your trip.
Don’t search once and assume you’ve found the best fare. Set price alerts and begin monitoring your route so you understand what a typical fare looks like. One of my favorite tricks is to use Google Flights and take screenshots of fares over several months. Then, when we enter a seasonal sale period, I can quickly see whether prices have actually dropped enough for my family to take advantage of the sale.
Second, be flexible with your travel dates.
Sometimes moving your departure or return by just one day can make a dramatic difference in price.
Third, search nearby airports.
This is one of my favorite travel hacks because it’s so often overlooked.
If you’re searching for a flight from Las Vegas to New York, don’t limit yourself to one airport. If you’re traveling to Florida, look at Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa. If you’re traveling internationally, consider searching major gateway airports within driving distance.
Changing airports can sometimes save you far more money than changing airlines.
I’ve also been reminding viewers that the cheapest airfare isn’t always the cheapest trip.
A lower-priced ticket can quickly become more expensive after you add baggage fees, seat assignments, parking, airport transfers, and overnight layovers.
And if you’re planning to travel for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I wouldn’t wait.
Holiday travel is different because millions of people are competing for the same flights over a very short period of time. If your dates are fixed and you’re traveling with children or multiple family members, now is the time to start watching fares. Fares will likely start ticking back up again mid-September.
My favorite tool for comparing flights is still Google Flights because it allows travelers to compare dates, view price trends, search multiple airports, and set fare alerts.
And if you have the flexibility to travel internationally in September or October, I would absolutely take advantage of a good fare to Europe. Shoulder season in Europe is one of my favorite times to travel. The crowds are thinner, the weather is still beautiful – and, in some parts of Europe, I would argue it’s actually better than the brutal summer heat.
But perhaps my favorite advice from this week’s television appearances is this:
Don’t wait for the calendar to make the decision for you. Know the historic trends, and keep an eye on the fare.
If you find a flight that works for your schedule and your budget, book it.
Because travel is supposed to create memories – not headaches.
To watch our segment on FOX Atlanta, click here: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/video/fmc-u11p53f4rs3lrok2