Financial influencer Taylor Price joins “Varney & Co.” to explain how changing your mindset can help Americans grow their wealth and achieve the American dream.
Google offers travelers advice on the best times to book vacation travel to save on airfare, using tools based on historical Google Flights data.
The tech giant published a blog post Monday explaining how to use its tools, whether you already know your destination and travel dates or have the option to adjust your vacation plans.
Google’s post raised the question many travelers face: whether to buy their tickets for a vacation trip today or wait to see if fares will drop in the coming days or weeks, and how to approach either situation.
“When your dates are already set, booking early is the safest bet to protect your itinerary,” wrote James Byers, Google Group Product Manager for Search. “But if your top priority is getting the lowest price possible, you can use historical booking trends in several ways.”
MAJOR AIRLINES CUT FLIGHTS AS HIGH JET FUEL PRICES HIT CARRIERS
Google offered tips for finding the lowest airfares and when to book based on vacationers’ destinations and destinations. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)
Byers’ post says travelers can use Google Flights or AI Mode in Search to determine the best time to save money on booking a flight based on destination and travel dates.
This will give the searcher insight into how current prices compare to previous years and whether rates are likely to increase or decrease before their departure date.
For travelers with flexibility, the post shares an updated analysis of the best time to book flights using five years of aggregated data from Google Flights to determine how far in advance common U.S. departing flights reach their lowest average price in common holiday travel scenarios.
Typically, domestic flights reach their lowest price 39 days before departure, in a range of 22 to 57 days. Byers noted that the window is slightly wider this year than it was a year ago, but 39 days is still a good compromise.
AMERICANS ARE DOING SMARTER THIS SUMMER WITH MICRO VACATIONS AND A TRAVEL STACK
Google data shows that Thanksgiving airfares are cheapest in October, while Christmas airfares tend to be found in late October and mid-November. (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
For international flights, the lowest prices are generally reached 89 days before departure, but the report notes that the average price drop in the low range of 50 to 133 days is insignificant – so travelers heading abroad should try to book flights as soon as they can.
Thanksgiving travelers will typically find the lowest prices 34 days before departure, with a low price range of 21 to 57 days. This indicates that the cheapest options will tend to appear for travelers in October.
Christmas flights tend to reach their lowest price 56 days before departure in a low price range of 33 to 67 days. Byers noted that the low point was five days earlier than last year, with the best airfare deals occurring between late October and mid-November.
“Our best recommendation is to book your holiday flights as soon as possible. October is when Thanksgiving flights tend to be the cheapest, and this year the sweet spot for low Christmas fares has moved even earlier,” Byers wrote.
LABOR DAY TRAVEL COSTS INCREASE AS AIRPLANE TICKETS, HOTEL PRICES RISE
| Teleprinter | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALPHABET INC. | 347.68 | +1.21 | +0.35% | |
For those planning trips next year, Google’s analysis notes that spring break airfares reach their lowest point 50 days before departure in a range of 29 to 64 days for trips in March or April, a week earlier than last year.
Travelers planning summer vacation trips can wait until later, as the lowest prices reach 21 days before departure in a low price range of 20 to 47 days for travel in July or August.
Google’s analysis also offers advice for people planning international travel.
Travel to Europe tends to align with general international travel in terms of lowest prices, which arrives 90 days before departure, but Byers notes that waiting rarely pays off since the low price range is 49 days or more before departure.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Trips to Mexico or the Caribbean reach their lowest prices 43 days before departure with a low price range of 24 to 69 days, with the report highlighting that the ideal time to find a deal on airfares is much closer to the departure date than for trips to Europe.
Gn bussni
