When is the best time to book a holiday flight?
MINNEAPOLIS — Hustling at the airport sometimes begins with the search for a ticket.
A handful of travelers passing through security said they bought their seats just two weeks ago. To no surprise, they didn't find a good deal. Booking 14 days before boarding is rarely the plan.
"Depending on where I'm going, if I'm going to Europe, six months out. Otherwise, I like to do like three months out," said traveler Jennifer Hummel.
Her timetable is what travel experts, like Lindsay Schwimer of Hopper, encourage.
"We advise travelers to monitor for domestic trips about three to four months in advance and book no later than one to two months in advance," said Schwimer.
For international flights, she said to start researching five to seven months out for the best deals — and book no later than three to six months in advance.
When would be the right time to start looking for flights for the holidays?
"Now or a few weeks ago," said traveler Peggy Tesdahl.
Her answer is right on schedule.
If you're planning to travel around Thanksgiving or Christmas, Schwimer said Oct. 14 should be your booking deadline.
"That's really going to be the sweet spot to get the best deal and guarantee you'll have available on your holiday route," said Schwimer.
"I use a website called Airfare Watchdog that will alert me when the rates are going up or down," said Hummel.
Similarly, Hopper has an app that lets users know when they should pounce on a price.
Early fall is actually a great time to find deals on flights since demand drops after the summer travel season, according to Schwimer. But for the best discounts, put a star on the Tuesday that follows Thanksgiving. It's also known as Travel Deal Tuesday.
"We see great deals across airlines, hotels, rental cars," Schwimer said. "There are some great deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but we often see the highest volume of deals on Travel Deal Tuesday."