When should you book holiday flights? Google Flights shares 5 tips to help you save money

If you are flying this Christmas or Thanksgiving, know the best flight booking hacks so you don't exceed your trip budget.

With the year drawing to a close, you may be planning one last getaway to end it with a bang. But that much-awaited year-end holiday requires several things to align. After all, planning a holiday involves more than picking a destination. This means even the smallest logistical details need to fall into place, such as choosing the right travel dates and when to start booking flights. This is especially important if you want to keep costs in check.

To help travellers find the best booking windows, Google Flights analysed five years of data to share golden hacks on when to book holiday tickets and which travel days may work in your favour. Google News posted it on its X handle on October 6.

The correct ticket booking window helps to save a lot!

Here's the best booking windows Google Flights identified:

1. When to book Thanksgiving flights

If you are planning to travel during Thanksgiving, October could be a good time to book your tickets. According to Google Flights' analysis, fares for Thanksgiving are usually lowest during this month. Booking ahead could help you avoid potentially higher fares.

2. When is the best booking window for Christmas travel

Christmas time also calls for advance planning if you want to avoid the last-minute rush. The data suggests that the ‘sweet spot’ for booking is around 56 days before departure. This means that if you intend to fly on December 25, you could aim to book around October 30.

3. Connecting flights help to save more

Nonstop flights may be convenient, but did you know that connecting flights could help you save money? Google Flights described connecting flights as a ‘big money saver,' noting that nonstop tickets are 20 percent more expensive on average. So, if your schedule is flexible, consider choosing a connecting flight that could help reduce your travel expenses.

4. The right travel days help to save more

Flexibility with your travel dates is another way to save, as the day you choose to fly can make a difference to the fare. According to Google Flights, departing on a Monday and returning on a Tuesday or Wednesday can save around 14 percent compared with weekend flights. For domestic flights, savings can reach around 20 percent compared with flying on a Sunday.

5. Cheapest day to book a flight

Wednesday has been crowned as the ‘absolute cheapest day to book a flight,’ beating Tuesday. But the savings are small, as booking on a Wednesday saves just 1.4 percent on average compared with Sunday, the most expensive day to book.