It’s never too early to start planning for holiday travel. But before you commit to buying a ticket for Thanksgiving, you might want to hold off for a moment; there might be a trick to get you a slightly better deal for Turkey Day. It all has to do with the day you buy the ticket.
Using their flight data from last year, Skyscanner determined that the best time to buy a Thanksgiving plane ticket is eleven weeks out from the big day. This year, that’s the week of September 4. According to Skyscanner, if you swipe up a flight during that week you’ll get up to 4% in savings and a ticket for about $300. While those savings are far from impressive, every penny counts, especially during the holiday season.
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To find out which dates are better, Skyscanner used data from previous years to estimate the cost of a ticket around Thanksgiving. If you happen to have a little more wiggle room in your holiday schedule, your savings might be different. There are other places to check out flight deals including helpful apps and websites.
Depending on the year, the time when it's cheaper to buy your plane tickers will vary. For example, in 2015, the best prices were available in early August, but this year’s ideal purchase time is earlier than last year’s. According to Travel + Leisure, the best time in 2016 wasn’t until late October. “The booking window for travelers to find greater savings is extending,” Skyscanner’s head of communications Randi Wolfson told Travel + Leisure.
Even though $300 is a hefty price to pay for a single flight, it’s still better than how much a last minute flight would cost. So if you’re planning on jetting off this Thanksgiving, mark September 4 on your calendar. Savings await!