Temperatures are cooling down, and pumpkin spice lattes are back, signs that the holiday season is just around the corner. That might have you thinking about booking your holiday travel, but Mariel Aber, CNN business correspondent for ‘Money Matters,’ says it might be wise to hold off for now.
“Right now, prices are about 7% higher year over year for both Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Clint Henderson, a travel expert with The Points Guy.
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Aber warns that buying tickets too early could mean paying more than necessary.
Henderson added, “Everyone thinks they have to book right now. So, they’re booking early and also airlines have cut capacity some, so there’s less seats available, and that means higher prices.”
His advice? Set a Google Flights alert to keep an eye on fares.
“The ideal time to book trips is 1 to 2 months ahead of time. So, if you’re waiting to book flights for the holidays, you still have a little time, but you absolutely have to book by Halloween because after that prices will skyrocket.”
Aber also points out that you don’t need a specific destination in mind to find a great deal.
“Google Flights Explore is one of the greatest hacks and travel you put in your home airport. It shows you an interactive map of anywhere in the world you want to go at the cheapest prices. So great tool there.”