If you're still hoping fares will drop before the holidays, Google has some numbers for you. Its latest analysis, published on 5 October 2026, crunches five years of flight data from US departures to pinpoint when holiday tickets hit their cheapest — and the answer is: soon, if not already.
For Thanksgiving, which lands on 26 November this year, domestic fares bottom out around 34 days before departure, with the best booking window running from 21 to 57 days out. In practice, that makes October the sweet spot.
Christmas is even less forgiving. Low fares typically show up 56 days ahead — five days earlier than last year's findings — and the best window spans 33 to 67 days before you fly. Late October to mid-November is where the savings are, so procrastinators are running out of runway.
Beyond the holidays, Google's year-round averages suggest booking domestic flights about 39 days in advance (anywhere from 22 to 57 days works well), while international trips are cheapest around 89 days out. Europe-bound travellers should aim for roughly three months ahead. Mexico and the Caribbean offer more leeway, with fares bottoming out around 43 days before travel.
Booking timing is only half the equation. Flying midweek rather than at weekends cuts prices by about 14% on average, and domestic travellers can save up to 20% by avoiding Sunday departures. Accepting a connection instead of a nonstop shaves another 20% off the average fare.
One old rule you can safely ignore: the day of the week you buy your ticket barely matters, according to Google's data. What matters is when you travel and how far ahead you book.
Google also points travellers to its price-tracking tools, which flag fare changes and show how current prices compare with historical trends. The broad advice: if your dates are fixed, book early rather than gambling on a drop; if they're flexible, shifting your departure by a day or two — or taking a less direct routing — is where the real savings sit.
For anyone with holiday plans still unbooked, the message is clear. Waiting for a last-minute deal is a losing bet at peak season, and the cheapest windows for Thanksgiving and Christmas are open now or closing fast.
