Book your holiday travel by this date to get the best deals

The fall travel season is officially here, and over half of travelers plan to manage the cost of their trips by cutting back on other expenses, according to Hopper. Hopper lead economist Hayley Berg joins Wealth! to break down her top travel tips for the 2024 fall and holiday seasons/

Berg notes that travelers should book their travel by October 14, when consumers can get the best airfare prices on their holiday travel. She adds that prices for holiday travel increase after Halloween.

She also encourages travelers to be flexible with their travel dates, explaining that you can save about $200 per domestic ticket just by being flexible around your Thanksgiving and Christmas travel dates. While these holidays are the cheapest travel days, she explains that Monday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and Monday before Christmas Eve are the other cheapest times to fly.

While the holiday season usually sees more delays, Berg recommends you buy disruption assistance when purchasing tickets. This way, if your flight is delayed or canceled, you can rebook the next available flight without incurring any additional costs. If possible, she also encourages planning a buffer day in your travels in case of any disruptions.

Travel Deal Tuesday — Tuesday, December 3 — lies right around the corner, and Berg explains that it’s the best day in the post-Thanksgiving holiday season to secure a great travel deal.

“We typically see 8,000 routes on sale from airlines. We see hotel discounts. So if you don’t book your Christmas travel now, or you’re already starting to think about your 2025 travel, Travel Deal Tuesday is a good day to put in your calendar because you can get incredible deals on either those last-minute holiday trips or maybe some warm weather destinations in early 2025,” she tells Yahoo Finance.

For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth!

This post was written by Melanie Riehl