The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare for spring break and the rest of 2026

Flights during holidays, spring break and peak summer travel periods are often a lot more expensive. Therefore, since timing is everything, now is the best time to start monitoring and booking your spring break trips and 2026 getaways.

However, finding valuable airline deals during peak travel times can depend on a few factors. And no, we're not talking about booking a flight on a certain day to yield cheaper results, or setting a reminder on your phone to shop for flights at 1 p.m. on a Thursday.

While there are strategies to get better flight deals, some of the common "tips" people tout are flat-out false.

Booking rumors aside, here’s what airfare experts say about how timing influences airfare prices, so you can maximize airfare savings on your next booking.

Now is the time to track flight prices for spring break travel

Historical data suggests that the best window to score low prices for spring break airfare is almost upon us. I’d strongly advise readers to start looking at flights now, set Google Flights alerts and grab deals as soon as they see them.

Generally, my advice for finding the lowest prices ahead of time is to monitor the search starting three months before the dates you want to travel. (Though, obviously, you should jump on any deals you find before that.)

TPG generally recommends booking one to two months in advance for domestic trips and three to five months for international trips. That means we will soon enter the sweet spot for booking spring break trips.

In 2026, spring break will fall in late March or early April, depending on your local school district.

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If previous trends hold, we expect to see some fairly substantial fare drops over the next several weeks. So our recommendation is to start booking at the end of January or early February for spring break.

Per Google flights:

• The cheapest domestic trips for March and April are between 28 and 61 days in advance.
• 43 days before departure is the cheapest day to book on average.

Tip: Set Google Flights alerts

I’m a huge fan of Google Flights because you can set alerts for particular destinations.

For example, say I want to go to Miami for spring break. Using Google Flights, I’d search for flights from New York City to Miami in late March.

One of the cheapest options for my specific travel dates was a round-trip economy flight on Frontier for $123. When searching for flights, Google shows a price history and informs you of the cheapest time to book.

Note at the bottom of the screenshot, Google tells me "The cheapest time to book is usually later, Jan. 29 - March 11."

Additionally, to search for fare deals, I can click on the “Date grid” button to see when prices are lowest. As you can see, if I leave on an earlier date, I can book flights for as low as $80.

International trips generally have an earlier booking window, so you'd want to plan trips abroad three to five months in advance.

Again, Google Flights is a tool that can be your best friend. For example, here’s a Google Flights search for a one-week trip to Mexico. The cheapest option available (at the time of writing) is an American Airlines flight. Google Flights also tells me that the “prices are currently typical,” so it might make sense for me to toggle the button that says “track prices.”

The "track prices" feature will ensure I get an email when airfare drops. The search was also saved on my Google Flights tracking page, so I could monitor flights over time.

Aside from using Google Flights, here are some other tips for booking spring break (as well as other peak travel windows and holidays) flights:

• When cash prices are high, dip into your stash of points and miles. Remember, one of the core mottos of the points and miles space is “Earn ’em and burn ’em.”
• Try flying on non-peak days, arriving at your destination earlier or extending your trip.
• If you can fly on the actual holiday itself, you’ll often get a better deal. Flying on Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day or Christmas Eve can save you big bucks.
• Be flexible with days and times. Often, you’ll get the best deal on a flight leaving at 6 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. Depending on the price difference, it can be worth getting up at 4 a.m. to save some cash. The same goes for red-eye flights, which are often the cheapest flights of the day.
• Look for alternative airports. For example, flying into Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) instead of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) can save substantial money.
• Look for deal alerts. Sign up for social media accounts that send out deal alerts — and subscribe to our daily newsletter, where we often publish airfare deals.

Related: Round-trip flights for under $150? Get discounted airfare alerts using this app

Is there a day that’s cheaper than others to book a flight?

We get asked this question all the time: “What’s the cheapest day to book a flight?” There’s a common belief that certain days are better for finding flight deals; however, research shows that this is a myth.

There is no magic day to book — but there are some sweet booking windows when airlines lower prices, according to Lindsay Schwimer, a consumer travel expert at the booking app Hopper.

As for whether there’s a particular day that’s cheaper than the rest for booking, Schwimer said, “There’s no one day or golden rule when to book.”

Hayley Berg, Hopper’s lead economist, echoed a similar sentiment.

“There’s a common myth that booking on a Tuesday will guarantee a traveler the best price,” Berg said in an interview. “The reality is prices change so often and depend on the route, the travel dates, etc., that there isn’t one day that guarantees you the best price.”

Additionally, Berg explained that for international travel, "planning ahead is key to getting the cheapest airfare," adding, “Travelers often book international flights too far in advance or too last-minute, overpaying significantly for their tickets.”

As mentioned earlier, those booking windows usually fall roughly one to three months out for domestic travel and three to five months in advance for international flights

Of course, this strategy changes pretty dramatically if you book with points and miles. Airlines often release award space for coveted business- and first-class seats when the booking window opens or at the last minute.

What’s the best day to travel?

Although airfare prices fluctuate based on when you book, midweek travel is generally cheaper than flying on weekends. In my own research, I've also found deals on Saturday travel when there are fewer business travelers.

"The cheapest days to travel are still Monday through Wednesday (about 13% cheaper than flying over the weekend)," according to a 2025 Google report.

“Flying midweek can save you nearly $100 off your ticket,” Schwimer said. “So when you’re thinking about when you want to travel, try shifting your dates midweek versus flying over the weekend. If you can be flexible and book either a Tuesday or Wednesday ... you’re gonna save significantly off your trip.”

Berg had similar thoughts.

“Travelers who fly midweek, usually Wednesday, can save an average of $56 per ticket on domestic airfare throughout the year,” she said. “Midweek savings spike over $60 per ticket during busy spring break and summer vacation months, while flying midweek over the holidays can save you $100 or more.”

“We always recommend booking the first flight of the day, not only to avoid delays and cancellations but also in terms of price,” Schwimer added. As we mentioned earlier, you’ll often find that those early departures can save you some big bucks. It’s not easy to set the alarm for 4 a.m. — but it’s easier to wake up when you know you’re saving money.

So, how can you use this information to your advantage when buying airline tickets?

Try using a price monitoring tool (such as Google Flights' "Track prices" or Hopper's “Watch This Trip”) to get real-time updates to help you decide when to travel for the lowest fare.

When to book 2026 travel

Best time to book flights for spring break

If your spring break falls in March or April, the ideal time to book a domestic trip is late January to early February. Keep in mind that demand surges during the spring break period after the doldrums of winter. Many people wait too long to book those trips and end up paying more than they need to.

As we mentioned previously, "The lowest prices for trips in March or April have been 43 days before departure (28-61 days is the low price range)," according to the Google report.

Best time to book flights for summer trips

Use the domestic and international guidance above to help shape your summer trip planning.

For a summer holiday in Europe, you should start monitoring flights in February and book three to five months in advance. Given how southern Europe gets particularly popular in the summer high season, a bit of extra time on top of that window might not be a bad idea either.

Berg recommends planning ever further in advance for longer-haul transpacific flights. “For trips to Asia and Oceania, we recommend booking five to seven months before takeoff,” Berg said. “For Europe and other regions of the world, we recommend booking anywhere from three to six months before departure to get the best prices.”

I strongly encourage folks to set Google Flights alerts and carefully monitor prices. Better yet, use refundable points or miles in case you find a better deal. You might also want to lock in a lower cash price if you are booking with an airline that will give you a flight credit if the price drops.

Even after you book, keep checking prices to see if the price goes down and you can get a credit for the price difference.

Related: Airlines that offer you a credit if the price of airfare drops

Best time to book flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas

Though the holiday season just ended, it's never too early to start planning your 2026 trips. For the cheapest domestic trips, plan on booking Thanksgiving flights in early to mid-October and Christmas airfare by Halloween. The cheapest holiday deals are generally available in October.

According to Google, Christmas airfare prices are usually at their lowest 32 to 73 days before the holiday.

“We tell people to start monitoring in August,” Schwimer said, “but our typical book-by date is mid-October, so usually around the 14th of October.” She added that “no later than Halloween is usually our book-by date for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

Personally, I’d begin setting alerts for flights home for the holidays in the summer.

In the example below, you can see I set a Google Flights alert for a 12-day trip from Dec. 21, 2024, to Jan. 2, 2025. Google sent me an alert (via email) when the price dropped.

Google also told me that prices at the time of my search were “high,” so it made sense to wait.

While prices typically start to rise once you are a month out from the holiday, remember, you don’t want to book too early, either. Prices are also usually pretty high when airlines first load schedules, so follow our timeline for the best opportunity to score a deal.

Best time to book flights for New Year’s Eve

As with Christmas flights, we recommend locking in bookings for New Year’s by Halloween at the latest, but you may still be able to find deals as late as mid-November.

That is true for “really any of the major winter holidays,” Berg said. “We recommend booking further in advance. I would book that New Year’s Eve trip as well before Halloween.”

What about hotels?

Hotels don’t require you to book quite so early; you can usually wait until much later and still score good deals. However, do keep in mind that if it’s a popular spring break destination (think Miami or Cancun), you’re unlikely to find last-minute discounts, so it really is destination-dependent. That said, it could be a great time to use hotel points to book your stay: Sometimes, hotels open up award availability at the last minute, even in popular destinations.

Cities that aren’t traditional spring break hot spots will likely have good prices, even at the last minute. For example, a hotel I stayed at in Malta — Corinthia Palace Malta — had rooms during spring week for as little as $230 a night, when rooms during high season are $320 or more.

“We often see good deals last minute for hotels in big cities. Something to keep in mind ... especially for those holiday weekends,” Schwimer told TPG. “And you know that [during] the Christmas holiday period, you can often find some really great last-minute deals in big cities if you wait.”

Bottom line

While there is no magical time or day to book airfare for the best prices, your best bet is to fly midweek, specifically Wednesdays, for both domestic and international travel. Flying over the weekend can come at a significant price premium, though Sundays have occasional deals.

Try booking domestic flights one to two months ahead of time; for international flights, your best bet is to aim to book three to five months in advance of the trip. But remember that if you’re using airline miles, it’s never too soon to start checking and booking.

Related reading:

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• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
  
  
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• What are points and miles worth? TPG’s monthly valuations