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This Is the Best Time to Book Summer Travel and Actually Save Money

April 23, 2018
2 min read
Perfect beach view. Summer holiday and vacation design. Inspirational tropical beach, palm trees and white sand. Tranquil scenery, relaxing beach, tropical landscape design. Moody landscape
This Is the Best Time to Book Summer Travel and Actually Save Money
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Are you a travel procrastinator? While it may only be April, it's time to finalize where you're traveling this summer. According to price-analysis data released by Hipmunk, the best time to book your summer travel is this week, April 23-29, if you want to save big.

According to Hipmunk's report, US travelers can save up to 12% on domestic travel for June, July and August if they book this week compared to those who wait until mid-June. Per the chart below, the average domestic flight will cost $279 this week, with prices increasing to $316 by mid-June.

Overall, domestic airfare prices for summer travel are up 4% compared to last year. For holiday domestic travel, specifically Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, travelers can save up to 16% if they book now. According to the data, 8% of all summer bookings are for the Fourth of July holiday. Hipmunk shows that by booking this week, you can save up to 14% on Independence Day airfare, and booking Memorial Day flights this week can save you up to 16%.

Some international airfare is also cheaper to book now. Tickets to Singapore, for example, are 30% cheaper for summer 2018 than they were in 2017, and flights to Hamburg, Germany, are 25% lower.

Hipmunk also recently introduced a new search functionality that has a mileage-earning feature so users can see how many miles they can expect to earn from a flight. Keep in mind: If you can't book a summer flight this week, Hipmunk recommends following the general rule of booking your travel three weeks in advance to save up to 14%.

Featured image of beach in Tahiti by levente bodo / Getty Images.

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Best for businesses with high spending
TPG Editor‘s Rating
4.5 / 5
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Rewards Rate

2X miles2 miles per dollar on every purchase
5X miles5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
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  • Intro Offer

    LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles
  • Annual Fee

    $395
  • Recommended Credit

    740-850
    Excellent

Why We Chose It

The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
  • In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
  • Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.

Cons

  • The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
  • Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
  • LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
  • Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
  • With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
  • Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
  • Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
  • Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
  • This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month