As people say goodbye to summer and look forward to autumn tripWith the holidays just around the corner, Google has new stats on everything from the hottest destinations to flight booking tips and tools to help travelers save money on seasonal getaways.
Norwegian Christmas trees with lights on, in the middle of Trafalgar Square in London, on December 7, 2023.
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Use the information below as a guide and resource when you are ready to start planning your trip.
Holiday Travel Trends 2024: Best Destinations for Thanksgiving and Christmas
Popular Thanksgiving Destinations Show More National Locations Represented in the Google Flights dataincluding Chicago, Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth.
How Google displays its top Thanksgiving destinations.
Between Christmas and New Year, people are more likely to travel abroad to places like Manila, Sydney, Mexico City or Madrid.
How Google displays its top “Christmas” destinations.
Best Time to Book Flights for Thanksgiving and Holiday Travel
With flight prices constantly changing, it can be difficult to determine the lowest fares. According to Google data, it's best to book your trip well in advance, especially if you have a specific flight to take.
The Rockefeller Center ice rink is seen in New York City on December 10, 2023.
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If your top priority is finding a cheap flight, check out historical trends by searching Google Flights for a specific destination and travel dates. The tool will show the cheapest time to book based on that information, so travelers can decide whether it’s best to book now or wait for prices to drop.
Based on four years of aggregated Google Flights data, trends show that U.S. travelers booking domestic travel are getting the lowest prices 38 days before departure, on average. The historically low price range is 21 to 52 days before takeoff.
For international flights, Google data showed that it's best to book as early as possible, with average prices lowest 101 days before departure and all-time lows 50 days or more before takeoff. Average international flight prices from the U.S. typically start to increase within 50 days of the flight itself.
For domestic travel during Thanksgiving, prices tend to be lowest 45 days before departure, with a range of 26 to 59 days. The best time to book cheap flights is early October for those planning to fly just before or after the turkey-centric holiday.
At Christmas, it's best to plan a little further in advance, with domestic flight prices being at their lowest 58 days before departure, and prices at their lowest between 36 and 72 days before. The best time to book a cheap flight around Christmas is the end of October.
Passengers wait in the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening line at Orlando International Airport ahead of Christmas travel in Orlando, Florida, on December 22, 2023.
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Travel to Europe from the US tends to be cheapest 94 days before departure, according to Google. But don't wait for prices to drop, the all-time low price range is 50 days or more before departure, which is the general advice for all international travel.
How to Save Money Booking Travel with Google Tools
“With Google, you can quickly find and compare prices for all your travel options, whether you need to book a flight or find the perfect place to stay,” said James Byers, product manager of the Search for Google group, in a statement. statement.
He also shared “some of our favorite, tried-and-true ways to save money with Google’s travel tools, just in time for your holiday travels.”
Get deals by browsing maps and dates with Google Flights
As most travel experts often repeat, the more flexible your plans are, the more opportunities you have to save.
Use the Explore map to browse deals worldwide
If you don't have a specific destination in mind, tap the Explore icon to see a map with different flight prices based on a departure airport. From there, use filters to adjust the results based on factors like budget, trip length, or flight duration.
How Google displays its “cheapest times to book information.”
Look at the date grid and price chart
For travelers who know where they want to go and have flexible dates, use the price grid and chart to quickly see when prices will change based on when you can fly. The date grid on Google Flights shows how prices change based on small adjustments to departure or return dates.
Additionally, looking at historical prices, the cheapest days of the week to fly are Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, which are typically 13% cheaper than Friday, Saturday or Sunday. If you exclude international travel, the potential savings jump to 20%.
How Google displays its “Explore Map.”
Finally, if you're willing to opt for a stopover over a nonstop flight, Google says you'll likely get a better deal: On average, nonstop flights are 25% more expensive than flights with stops, according to Google data.
