When is the best time to purchase a holiday flight? Bing Price Predictor can help.
Did you miss out on traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday? Travel deals during the holiday season can be tough to find and book. It’s the time of year when everyone seems to be traveling from one end of the country to the other. We’re always on the lookout for travel deals and cheap airfare to help YOU save money so that you have a little extra in your pocket for shopping, once you reach your destination.
Back in September Bing issued the 2010 Bing Travel Holiday Forecast to give travelers an idea of what to expect when traveling this holiday season. For people who still haven’t booked Christmas airfare and are feeling a little unsure about what to expect, not to fear! Bing has everyone covered. Their Fareologists have done some number crunching and below is their updated travel outlook for Christmas. Check out Bing’s Price Predictor, which will give you an idea of whether to buy airfare now or wait.
For last-minute travelers, there are still airfares to be found and the pricing remains relatively favorable, although you’ll still likely pay more than you would have if you booked early. Find the best fares at www.bing.com/travel.
Travel during Christmas 2010 is looking a bit better than last year – great news for the frugal travelers out there! Holiday airfare to domestic destinations averages $400, down 7 percent from Christmas 2009, but 7 percent higher than 2008 fares. With Christmas landing on a Saturday this year, the ticket for the most popular Christmas itinerary — Wednesday departure, Monday return — could cost $381 on average, up $14 from 2009. If your planned itinerary includes Thursday departure, Monday return you will likely find that your flight is a bit more expensive as this specific itinerary averages $408. If you’re looking to save money, your best option is to depart on Wednesday and return on Sunday. This option averages $343 — which is $57 less than the national average. If you’re not ready to shop yet, it’s still a good idea to set up a Fare Alert, so you can see the prices every day. Maybe you’ll see a deal you can’t resist!
Travel Deals:
If you aren’t planning on heading home for the holidays but want to get out of the cold, here are some notable deals this holiday season:
Christmas
• New York, NY (JFK) – Orlando, FL (MCO): Average Christmas airfare is $272, down 28% from Christmas 2009
• Philadelphia, PA (PHL) – Tampa, FL (TPA): Average Christmas airfare is $240, more than $66 less than Christmas 2009
• New York, NY (LGA) – Miami, FL (MIA): Average Christmas airfare is $320, down 22$ from Christmas 2009
*Please note all figures represent average holiday airfares observed as of Nov. 11 as compared to the same relative date in 2009
