Planning a year-end holiday involves more than selecting a destination, with flight booking dates and travel days playing an important role in keeping expenses under control. For travellers preparing for Thanksgiving or Christmas trips, Google Flights has analysed five years of flight data to identify booking windows and travel patterns that could help reduce airfares. The findings were shared by Google News on its X account on October 6.

For Thanksgiving travel, October could be a favourable month to book flights, according to the analysis. Google Flights found that fares for Thanksgiving trips are generally at their lowest during October. Travellers planning to fly during the holiday period may therefore benefit from booking in advance rather than waiting until closer to their departure date, when prices can potentially rise.

Christmas travellers may also benefit from planning ahead. Google Flights identified about 56 days before departure as the booking sweet spot for Christmas travel. For instance, passengers planning to fly on December 25 could target around October 30 for booking. The recommendation is aimed at helping travellers avoid potentially higher fares associated with last-minute holiday demand.

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The analysis also points to connecting flights as an option for travellers looking to reduce costs. While nonstop flights offer greater convenience, Google Flights found that they are about 20 per cent more expensive on average than flights involving a connection. Travellers with flexible schedules may therefore consider connecting services when comparing fares and deciding how much convenience they are willing to trade for savings.

Choosing the right travel days can also make a difference to the overall cost. According to Google Flights, departing on a Monday and returning on a Tuesday or Wednesday can save around 14 per cent compared with travelling over the weekend. For domestic journeys, the potential savings can rise to about 20 per cent when compared with flying on a Sunday.

The day on which a flight is booked, however, appears to have a much smaller impact on the final fare. Wednesday was identified as the cheapest day to book, but the average saving was only 1.4 per cent compared with Sunday, which was the most expensive day. The findings suggest that travellers may gain more by being flexible about their travel dates and booking windows than by waiting for a particular day of the week to purchase their tickets.

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