Want cheaper holiday flights? Google Flights says timing is everything

Holiday airfares have a reputation for climbing the moment you hesitate. With surging fuel prices pushing ticket costs higher, Google's new analysis of five years of Google Flights data suggests this isn't the year to wait. Here are five tips.

For Thanksgiving, the lowest fares have shown up 34 days before departure. With Thanksgiving on November 26, that puts the best booking dates around October 21-23. For Christmas, Google's data points to about 56 days out, which lands around October 27-29. That's five days earlier than last year. Google says the best deals fall between late October and mid-November.

Google's international low point is 89 days before departure, but the price drop is tiny, so waiting rarely pays. Booking is also on a different clock for nearby getaways: Mexico and the Caribbean trips are cheapest about 43 days out.

Google says your flight days matter more than your booking day. Flying out on a Monday and returning Tuesday or Wednesday can save around 14% compared with weekend travel. If you can't avoid the holiday rush, shifting by even a day can make a real difference.

According to Google's data, buying on the cheapest day of the week saves only about 1.4% compared with the most expensive day. That's a gap too small to matter next to the savings from choosing the right travel days.

Choosing a connecting itinerary over a nonstop can save roughly 20%. The trade-off is a longer travel day, so compare total time before you commit, especially with kids or a tight schedule. Google also recommends that you use Google Flights to track historical trends and find the cheapest windows for your specific destination.

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