While most families are focusing on getting kids back into the school routine, travel experts say now is also the time to think about booking your winter holiday vacation.
The frequency of finding deals usually dries up after Labor Day, which is just a little less than a month away.
Even though most people book holiday travel in September and October, summer is the best time to make holiday plans.
According to AAA, international holiday flights are filling up fast. They say some of the most popular trips are for Christmas markets in Europe. Caribbean cruises are also trending.
AAA travel advisors say they are also seeing more people gift travel experiences to loved ones instead of presents. Disney tickets appear to be a favorite gift.
Even if you find relatively lower fares, travel data suggests holiday flight prices are up to 12% from last year.
For Thanksgiving travel, experts suggest flying Monday of Thanksgiving week and returning any weekday of the following week to save the most.
With Christmas Day on a Monday this year, Thursday and Friday will be the most expensive travel days.
If you can be flexible, experts suggest putting off that winter trip until January and February when flights are cheapest.
When booking, you want to monitor flight trackers.
Google Flights can help to track lower-priced flights and if you book a flight with the guarantee badge, Google will keep monitoring your flight search and will refund you if the price drops by more than $5.
