Best Time To Buy Cheap Airplane Tickets For Year-End Holidays

Illustration of aircraft (Pexels/Andrew Cutajar)

JAKARTA - I don't think it will soon enter the year-end holiday period. The end of the year will be a busy vacation, so airplane tickets and accommodation tend to be more expensive, especially if the booking time is done near departure.

According to expert analysis of Google Flights historical aircraft ticket price data, travelers are now entering the 'low price range' to get the cheapest rates. Especially where Christmas is less than 90 days and Thanksgiving is less than 60 days.

Google data reveals specifically when it is the ideal time to get the lowest flight ticket price for the two major holiday periods at the end of the year.

- Thanksgiving Vacation: The lowest price starts to appear about 60 days before the holiday. Cheapest tickets are available 35 days before Thanksgiving.

- Christmas Holidays: Travelers can start getting cheap rates about 70 days earlier. The best price is usually found when ordering about 51 days before the date of departure.

Thus, if you plan a vacation for Christmas, the best aircraft ticket offer will usually appear from mid-October to November.

"So, if you plan to travel for Christmas, the best offer can usually be found during bookings anytime between mid-October and mid-November," wrote Google, quoted from Travel and Leisure, on Monday, October 13, 2025.

Not only that, to get the best offer, Google Flights also recommends several strategies to book year-end aircraft tickets, as follows.

1. Set a price notification. Set a price warning in Google Flights in order to receive notifications when your preferred flight drops prices.

2. Select transit flights. Considering transit flights can help save about 22 percent on average.

3. Fly on weekdays. Flying from Monday to Wednesday is about 13 percent cheaper than flying on weekends.

4. Different days of purchase of minimal influence. Don't worry about what day you buy tickets, because the cheapest ticket day is only 1.3 percent cheaper than the cheapest day.