When Should Iowans Book Their Holiday Flights?

Holiday travel can be a nightmare.

There are so many different factors that you need to take into account during this time of year; weather, road conditions, flight delays.

If you are like me and you travel across the country multiple times a year, during the holiday season whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. One of the things that you can do to regain some semblance of control during holiday travel is booking your flight at a reasonable price.

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It's no secret that travel during Thanksgiving and Christmas can be incredibly expensive. I booked my flights for Thanksgiving in August, and they were half the usual price due to the early booking.

If you are traveling out of Iowa, I highly encourage you be vigilant when booking your flights. Make sure to compare prices at different airports like Waterloo versus Cedar Rapids versus Des Moines.

Sometimes, these flights are more expensive, and in most instances flying directly out of Chicago can be much more affordable, especially if you are headed east.

When Should You Book Your Flights for Christmas?

According to a recent report, the best time to book a flight for Christmas or any time during mid to late December is actually right around now. Early October is a good general window for snagging those flights.

Officials confirm that the average price tends to be lowest exactly 71 days before departure for domestic flights. This is a bit different than in years past where it was just 22 days before your flight.

So, if you're planning to flight out on Friday, December 22nd then you should book your flight on Wednesday, October 11th. 

December 23rd flight ~ book on October 12th

December 24th flight ~ book on October 13th

What If I'm Traveling Internationally?

Nearly the same rule of thumb applies. Google Flights confirms that the average cost of flights for trips from the U.S. to Europe are lowest 72 days before the departure date.

Once you are about ten weeks from departure, then the cost of these flights usually go up. So, the sooner the better if you are traveling outside of the U.S.

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