Google Reveals Top Holiday Destinations And Best Time To Book Tickets; Here's What You Should Know

If you’re a frequent user of flight comparison websites like Skyscanner and Kayak and are looking to lock in your 2024 holiday plans, then Google Flights has some news for you. The tech giant has released its 2024 holiday trends for the end of the year to help fliers figure out the best time to book their flights and the top destinations that are catching the eye of its American users.

For International Jetsetters

If you’re travelling abroad, you should probably book as early as possible. While average prices have been lowest 101 days before departure according to Google Flights' records, the historical low price range is anytime 50 days or more before takeoff. For international travel from the United States, average prices don’t meaningfully drop anytime before departure, but they usually start rising within 50 days of the flight itself.

If You’re Going To Europe…

Trips to Europe from the US tend to be cheapest 94 days before departure. But you shouldn’t wait for prices to drop—the historical low price range is 50 days or more before takeoff (same as the general advice for all international travel).

The Cheapest Day To Fly Is…

If you’re curious about the best day of the week to book, the answer is that there’s not much benefit to buying your tickets on any particular day. While Tuesday has historically been the cheapest day to book, it’s only 1.3 per cent cheaper than the most expensive day, Sunday.

Looking at historical prices, the cheapest days of the week to fly are Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, which have been 13 per cent cheaper than flying on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. If you exclude international trips, the potential savings jump to 20 per cent.

If you’re willing to opt for a layover versus nonstop flight, Google Flights' data shows that you can probably get a better deal. On average, nonstops have been 25 per cent more expensive than flights with stops.

Christmas 2024 Trends

Plan a bit further ahead if you’re travelling domestically for Christmas. Prices have been lowest 58 days before departure, and the low price range is 36 to 72 days out—so the best time to book cheap Christmas flights is the back half of October.

According to Google Flights, the top five most searched-for destinations for trips departing between December 22, 2024 and January 5, 2025, from American airports are Tokyo (Japan), Orlando (USA), Cancún (Mexico), Miami (USA) and New York (USA). Mumbai ranks as the 15^th top destination for Christmas and New Year's Eve this year, while Manila and Bangkok slot in at #12 and #13, respectively.

(With inputs from Google)