Are you thinking about booking your Thanksgiving and Christmas flights now, or should you wait?
No, it's not too soon to ponder that, according to Alphabet Inc.'s Google. The technology giant updated booking trend analysis, launched on August 28, besides a new "cheapest time to book" option (more on that below), reveals domestic flights timed around Christmas 2023 will have the lowest fares 71 days before deviation. Traveling on December 21, for example, would mean purchasing your flight as early as Oct. 7.
Google spokesperson said that currently, there are no significant price decreases in the near future for domestic travel to Europe, and that the best deals will be available 72 days or more in advance. For Thanksgiving travel, Google advises to buy tickets 36 to 74 days ahead.
Google, in an effort to emulate the search results of its rivals, has recently released a new tag prediction software that considers a user's individual preferences in order to make the booking process easier. This software is in addition to its existing booking trends information, which gives users more accurate insights on when the best time to book tickets will be.
In cases where Google has reliable historical pricing information, a blue banner and an expandable content box will appear under the initial results for flights when the software is activated.
For example, running a look for on Google Flights for a roundtrip flight from
Miami to Punta Cana on Dec. 15 to 22(starting at $510) triggers the option. The blue banner seems under the list of “best-departing flights” with a title that reads, “The cheapest time to book is normally later, Sep 2-Dec 1.
” Expanding the banner offers an explainer, that is followed by a tag history graph: “The lowest prices for lookalike trips to Punta Cana are generally found about 13 months before takeoff.