“Fall is my favorite.”

Do you hear that? It’s the collective sigh of relief from fall enthusiasts now that the autumnal equinox is here. Since we know y’all have been burning your pumpkin-spiced candles for weeks, maybe you’d like to find out what’s going on for holiday travel – keep reading to get the story.

The pre-check

The week’s latest travel stories and news.

• Tap back in.
  Travelers from around the world are flocking back to Munich for Germany’s Oktoberfest, which has finally resumed after a two-year hiatus.
• Stronger than yesterday.
  The Federal Reserve may raise interest rates, which would make the US dollar more valuable – which is good news if you’re going abroad.
• Paradise on pause.
  Several Caribbean islands canceled incoming flights due to Hurricane Fiona, which made landfall this week – here’s what you can do to help.
• You can’t sit with us.
  Starting 10/3, Newark Airport will no longer be affiliated with the city code NYC airports (which will also be reflected in our searches).

Trending travel

When to book travel for the 2022 holidays.
After a summer of flight challenges, we wouldn’t take any chances on waiting to book flights for the holidays. In fact, after taking a closer look at our recent data, we’d recommend you book as early as possible if you plan to go anywhere between Thanksgiving to New Years. If you really insist on taking your chances, there is a ~slight~ possibility that you could save on flights if you book 2.5 weeks out*. However, a majority of airlines are prioritizing quality over quantity this holiday season, which may limit their flight capacity. Our advice? Set those Price Alerts now and finalize your travel plans soon.

Tricks of the trade

Grateful to be getting away for Thanksgiving.
Speaking of the holidays, traveling for Thanksgiving may be pricey – so if you were considering not going home, we have another incentive to go somewhere different. Meet the F*cket List: Our guide for alternative Thanksgiving destinations that cost the same (or less) than going home for turkey day**. Let’s face it, you won’t miss the high school reunion at your local bar…here are some ideas for where you could venture instead:

• From New York City…
  If you’re flying from NYC, a getaway to the Cayman Islands ($413) could be less than flying to Denver ($417), Las Vegas ($422) or Dallas ($433). For those who would be headed to the Midwest, you could fly to Reykjavik for the same price as flying to Milwaukee ($476)
• From Los Angeles…
  Would you rather go back to the Windy City or explore Peru for something new? For those leaving from LA, it’s cheaper to fly to Lima ($471) than it is to go to Chicago ($497). Or, instead of flying back to Miami, you could go to Barcelona for the same price ($567).
• From Chicago…
  How about paying a visit to Lisbon ($432) instead of paying for more on flights to Tampa ($474) or Pheonix ($475)? You could also take a trip over to Croatia ($494) for less than it would take to get back over to San Francisco ($519) for the holiday.
• From Boston…
  Rather than paying all that money to go home, why not go to Europe instead? Fly to Copenhagen from Boston ($491) for less than going to Seattle ($497) for Thanksgiving. You could also take a jaunt over to Dublin ($513) for less than going to Columbus ($526).

Social shoutouts

Nothing like a colorful montage to get you in the autumnal spirit. Up next: spooky season.

Links in this Newsletter are for informational purposes only, and there is no affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement by or with KAYAK Software Corporation whatsoever.

*Methodology: KAYAK US considered 1/1 – 9/1/22 search dates and all travel dates to determine the average best time to book window for 2022. 

**From the top flight origin cities in the US, KAYAK found the cheapest flight routes (both international and domestic) using search dates 5/1/2022 – 9/14/2022 for US Thanksgiving (travel dates 11/18/2022 – 11/27/2022). Only round trip, economy median airfares were considered.