It may only be August, but it's time to start thinking about booking your flight home for the holidays already.
Whether you plan on traveling this Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Eve (or all three!), the experts at KAYAK, the fare aggregator and travel search site, crunched the numbers to determine the best dates to find deals for travel between November 18 and January 3.
RELATED STORY
Flying from East Coast? Now's the time to book your holiday flights. KAYAK says they start seeing a decrease in median airfare after July 31 typically.
Flying from the West Coast? June and July are historically the months when airfare for the holiday season is at its highest. For the best deals, you'll want to wait until after September 4 to book your flights, according to KAYAK.
Check out more flight deals at Expedia.
Flying from the Southwest? If you're looking for flights from airports in the Southwest this holiday season, wait to book until after August 16. According to KAYAK, this is historically when they've seen median airfare start to decrease.
Flying to Europe? If it's always been a dream of yours to visit Europe's Christmas markets you still have plenty of time to find amazing deals for flights across the pond. While airfares start to decline from now until the end of September and mid-October, if you wait to book your flights until October 10, you're likely to find the best deals about six to eight weeks ahead of your travel dates, according to KAYAK.
RELATED STORY
Read more about Christmas travel at TripAdvisor.
But remember, if you see an airfare that fits your budget earlier than these dates, just go ahead and book it.
Methodology: KAYAK pulled internal data based on all coach, roundtrip flights from the U.S. with search dates between January 1 and November 17, 2016 for travel dates of November 18, 2016 to January 3, 2017.
Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.
Lyndsey Matthews is the Destination News Editor for AFAR; previously she was a Lifestyle Editor across all of Hearst Digital Media's brands, and a digital editor at Martha Stewart Weddings and Travel + Leisure.
-
Princess Charlotte Used Four-Word Command to Keep Her Older Brother Prince George in Check
Always watching out for royal protocol.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Garner Are Not Just Coparents, But Friends
“They really enjoy each other.”
By Rachel Burchfield
-
#ReadWithMC Readers Gave 'Adelaide' By Genevieve Wheeler Five Stars
"This book just busted my heart OPEN and I am now in a million pieces. Wow wow wow."
By Brooke Knappenberger
-
The 10 Best Health Spa Resorts in the U.S.
It’s pampering time.
By Michelle Stansbury
-
The Fashion Editor’s Guide to Saint-Germain-des-Prés
The most stylish things to see and do in the creative hub of Paris, the 6th arrondissement.
By Sara Holzman
-
The Ultimate Guide to Copenhagen
Explore one of the happiest cities in the world.
By Emma Childs
-
The Spring Ski Guide to Beaver Creek
We're making a case for a spring vacay on the slopes.
By Sara Holzman
-
The Ultimate Guide to Paris
Where to stay and what to do in the City of Lights.
By Sara Holzman
-
The 17 Best Luggage Sets of 2023
BRB, setting my "out of office" message.
By Emma Childs
-
The 12 Best Weekender Bags for Women, According to Editors and Experts
In case you needed another reason to be pumped about your trip.
By Julia Marzovilla
-
Weekend Guide to the North Fork: Where To Stay, Eat, & Drink
Wine, oysters, and more wine please.
By Sara Holzman