TOPEKA, Kan. – Oct. 4, 2018 – Wondering when to book holiday travel for the best pricing and ease of travel? To assist travelers, AAA Travel analyzed its last three years’ flight booking data. Here are some key findings with details following:

• The Monday before Thanksgiving is historically the least expensive day to fly of the week.
• Those booking Thanksgiving air travel now will typically pay less than if they booked it earlier.
• Christmas travelers can save an average of $100 per ticket by booking no earlier than the last week of September and before the end of October.

Thanksgiving Air Travel

Best Days to Travel:

• The Monday before Thanksgiving historically has the lowest average ticket price, $465, and is typically a lighter air travel day, for travelers wanting to arrive in advance of the holiday.
• Save more and miss the airport crowds by traveling on Thanksgiving Day. Fly the morning of the holiday and arrive just in time for Thanksgiving dinner for cheapest fares. The average per ticket booked has been $446.
• The Tuesday and Wednesday preceding Thanksgiving are the most popular travel days, and travelers will pay the highest average price per ticket, $509 and $507 respectively.

Most Popular Times to Book and Pricing:

• Most travelers book one to two months prior to Thanksgiving.
• Booking holiday travel in advance has its pros and cons. Travelers who have already booked their flights this year likely paid a bit more, but they have the best chance of ensuring that their preferred flights are available, especially for the busy travel days around Thanksgiving.
• Procrastinating travelers, those who book their flights just 7 to 13 days before Thanksgiving, will find the cheapest airfares. However, travelers who book last minute may encounter limited flight availability.

Christmas Air Travel

Best Days to Travel:

• Regardless of what day of the week Christmas falls on, most travelers depart two or three days before the holiday.
• People who fly on Christmas Eve consistently pay the lowest price per ticket, $512 on average. Few choose to do so, however, as this is the lightest travel day around the Christmas holiday.

Most Popular Times to Book and Pricing:

• Most travelers book one to two months prior to Christmas and pay an average airfare of $561 roundtrip.
• However, the best time to book Christmas air travel is two to three months before Christmas – September 23 and October 25 this year. Travelers who book within that window pay an average ticket price of $551, up to $100 less on average than more advanced bookings.
• Travelers who book their flights six months or more prior to Christmas can ensure the best flight availability, but they do so at a cost.
• Last-minute planners—those who book 7 to 13 days prior to Christmas—will pay the lowest average airfares, at $488. However, those travelers risk encountering limited availability and their preferred flights may already be sold out.

AAA travel agents know the tricks of travel planning to provide confidence in evaluating options and making final decisions. They are impartial to give insights best for specific situations. Preferred rates and offers often saves travelers money. They are a security blanket should things go astray. Travelers who prefer to schedule travel online find useful tools at Travel.AAA.com