Travelers looking for flight deals this Thanksgiving and Christmas should book their trips early this year, a travel expert has revealed.
Skyler McKinley, a spokesperson for AAA Colorado, said travelers who don’t wait to buy their tickets in advance save money, since flights will likely cost more during the holidays this year.
“If you do that now, you’ll be in a minority of travelers,” McKinley said. FOX31.
McKinley told the The Aspen Times This month, the pandemic played a role in the price change.
“Before the pandemic, you could probably wait until mid-October to book for Thanksgiving, or wait until after Thanksgiving to book for Christmas and get a good deal. But there are no last-minute deals anymore,” he explained.
The busiest travel days this year are expected to be November 25-27 and December 23.
McKinley’s advice comes days after the Federal Reserve announced it would cut its key interest rate by half a percentage point.
The cut could potentially spur an increase in travel demand.
“There will be a surge of confidence that will probably push markets higher. That will make people a little bit more willing to spend on credit,” McKinley told FOX31.
“All of this is going to put further upward pressure on the travel economy.”
Airfare for Thanksgiving flights is currently about $298 per round-trip ticket, a 10 percent increase from this time last year, according to Aware of the globe.
A round-trip flight from Denver to Chicago three days before Christmas cost $350 on a non-discount airline, FOX31 found.
The busiest travel days this year are expected to be November 25-27 and December 23.
AAA has advised travelers to be flexible with their flight dates during the holidays, as flying on Thanksgiving and Christmas is typically not too expensive.
AAA Colorado spokesperson Skyler McKinley recommended travelers purchase their tickets early this year.
Travel demand could increase after the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut its key interest rate
About 32 percent of Americans plan to travel this holiday season, according to a study released last week by Civic Science.
AAA Colorado also found that 55 percent of state residents plan to travel for the holidays.
At least 40 percent of those travelers have already booked their tickets, while 60 percent plan to do so by the end of September.
“That will decrease supply and increase prices, limiting availability for those of us who are more inclined to wait,” McKinley said.
McKinley believes the 2024 travel period will exceed expectations and “far exceed” what the state saw in 2019.
For the Sunday after Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel days of the year, Nerd Wallet predicted that U.S. airport records could be broken due to the increase in screened passengers.