The Best Time to Book Flights

If You’re Traveling During the Fall

Autumn isn’t typically leisure travel season since kids are back in school, so there are a lot of great fare sales, particularly last-minute ones around late September or October. If you are open and flexible, this is a great season for an off-peak leisure trip to a mountainous area or somewhere off-season like Mexico.

When to buy: You can wait longer and be more open to last-minute deals (like two to four weeks in advance) in the fall. If you need to go somewhere in particular, though, buy six weeks in advance so you aren’t gambling.

Bonus tip: Avoid fall convention hotspots like Las Vegas, New York City, and Orlando. A great time for a cheap leisure trip is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. For trips during that time, start looking in September.