‘Tis the season for more travel. We all want to head home and spend the holidays with the people we love and care about. When should we book? What is a good price for a flight? Are there any deals? 

When should we book?

My go to tip is always to book as far in advance for any travel. Whether it is for the holidays, for a birthday trip or even just your next vacation. I personally always book more than six months in advance since I tend to book error or low fares the minute I see them. I also like to give myself enough time to prepare for the trip, you know save money, request the time off and all the like. 

One thing is for sure, booking last minute flights during the holidays will never be cheap. No matter the destination, it will always cost more than usual. Remember, everyone is trying to get back home to their loved ones as well, airlines can charge anything and people will pay it. 

What is a good price for a flight?

I cannot give you an exact answer. However, you can always use Google Flights to have an idea of how the price for a certain destination varies throughout the months, and that should help give you an idea of what a typical ticket costs to your destination. For example, a flight back to Hartford, Connecticut from Fort Lauderdale, Florida can usually cost anywhere from $100-$200+. I personally, never pay more than $150. Last year I flew home in the middle of December for $89 RT with Spirit Airlines. Fast forward six months later, in June I payed $149 with Spirit as well. This brings me to my next point.

Who you’re flying with will also have an impact on how much you will pay for that flight. I am a budget traveler, I will travel in ANY airline as long as it gets me to my destination. Let’s be honest, any airline can have a delay, whether it is due to maintenance issues on a plane, weather, or maybe an issue with a passenger on board that delays the previous flight. I will take my chances with any airline to save some coins and travel more, but that’s just me. So always keep in mind that sometimes taking a flight with an airline you don’t normally fly with might be a lot or a little less costly than your preferred airline. If you’re booking last minute, don’t be picky or you will pay the price, LITERALLY. 

Are there any deals? 

Yes and no. You can most likely find a deal if you’re subscribed to receive email notifications from sites like http://scottscheapflights.com or http://theflightdeal.com . I wrote a whole post about both sites and others, feel free to check it out for how to use them. 

JetBlue also does a good job of having last minute travel deals for random specific dates, so if you are looking to book last minute, make sure to check their Flash Sales tab just in case. Another thing, consider flying on a holiday. No one wants to be flying on Christmas Day, but a flight on Christmas morning might cost you less than a flight two days before and you will still get there to spend the day with the family. 

Hope these little tips helped. If you have any other suggestions feel free to let me know and I will add them. Happy Holidays!