‘Tis the season for giving, so we’re back with tips and trends to get you through Christmas and New Year’s Eve travel. The analysts in our workshop looked at millions of queries conducted on KAYAK to provide guidance on when* and where** to travel this holiday season.
When to Book this Christmas
For domestic travel, book 3 weeks in advance to save around 5%. If you wait too long, fares begin to steadily increase and you could be slapped with fares as much as 36%.
If you’re setting your sights far from home for Christmas, book your international travel ASAP:
Europe – Average airfare rose more than $650 from July through the holiday, so make sure to book your travel to this region now.
Caribbean – The best window is early December, with average airfare around $692, 10% below the average. After mid-December, prices begin to steadily climb.
When to Travel this Christmas
For both domestic and international travel, departing and returning Christmas day yielded significantly lower average fares. But of course, unless you’re Santa, such a quick turnaround is probably not ideal so try to travel as close to the holiday as possible.
Last year, domestic travelers who departed on December 24 and returned December 26 saved about 14%, with an average fare of $499.
For international travel, consider departing on December 24 and returning on December 29 – last year travelers saved around 20% on fares when opting for those travel dates.
Top Destinations for Christmas 2014
Whether you’re visiting family for the holidays or looking for some R&R among the snow-capped mountains, we looked at destinations that are certain to leave you in a jolly mood.
Brave travelers willing to face a bitter frost in the Midwest will be rewarded in kind. Average fares to Milwaukee ($325), St. Louis ($374) and Chicago ($351) saw the greatest drop in airfare this holiday season at 21%, 15% and 13%, respectively, compared to last year.
If sunglasses and sandals are more your style, you’re still in luck – average airfare to Montego Bay, Jamaica ($630), and Nassau, Bahamas ($542), dropped 12% and 11%, respectively, compared to last year.
Are you more concerned with skipping the crowds this Christmas? Searches to Rio de Janeiro ($1494 average fare),Punta Cana ($765 average fare), and St. Martin ($781 average fare) dropped 48%, 39% and 38% respectively, compared to surrounding weekends. If you can swing it, stay for Rio’s famous New Year’s beach celebrations. (Photo Source: Antonio Guillem)
When to Book for New Year’s Eve
If you’re traveling domestically, book your New Year’s Eve travel in early December, as average fares were found to be as low as $409.
For Europe, fares steadily increase as you approach your departure date, so book your travel to this region now. You still have some time if you’re headed to the Caribbean; try booking your New Year’s Eve travel 4 to 21 days prior to departure date.
Our little data elves are still busy crunching the number to identify New Year destinations, so keep checking back as we continue to spread the holiday cheer.
*When to Book Christmas data based on average flight fares for search dates: July 1, 2013 – December 25, 2013
*When to Book New Year’s Eve data based on average flight fares for search dates: July 1, 2013 – December 30, 2013
**Destinations based on search dates: January 1, 2014 – October 20, 2014 vs. January 1, 2013 – October 20, 2013
**Destination travel dates defined as: December 20, 2014 – December 25, 2014 (start) and December 26, 2014 – December 31, 2014 (end) vs. December 20, 2013 – December 25, 2013 (start) and December 26, 2013 – December 31, 2013 (end)
(Preview photo cred: iStock.com/cdwheatley)
