Best and worst times to fly in 2018
Even Europe can be had on the cheap
If you’re feeling a little blah because the holidays are over and the dreariness of another winter is upon us, this may perk you up: January is an excellent time to fly because it’s so darn cheap, for domestic travel and Europe.
Some examples of round-trip fares, all found within the past few days on FareCompare:
Los Angeles to Denver — $53 Chicago to Miami — $63 Boston to Kauai, Hawaii — $482 New York to Madrid — $382 Of course, what goes down does go right back so let’s take a look at the best and worst days to fly so you can plan accordingly in the new year.
January and February
Best days to fly: Jan. 9 and beyond. This is when the very cheap, post-holiday pricing kicks in. The bargains continue into February.
Worst days: February 15, 16, 17. Prices rise for travel during the President’s Day holiday for weekend trips.
March and April
Best days to fly: Most weekdays. Worst days: Weekends beginning March 10-11, continuing through April 21-22.
This marks the start of the spring break travel season; airlines know most fliers who take these vacations will make it a week-long break and weekend fares rise with demand. But you can make it a cheaper spring break by flying a Tuesday-to-Saturday or Saturday-to-Wednesday itinerary.
May, June, July and August
Best days to fly: May 1-16. Prices will be relatively cheap for both weekdays and weekends.
Worst days: May 17-June 22. Higher, presummer fares kick in with an aver- age price hike for weekdays and weekends of 20%-plus over May fares.
Worst days: June 23 to late August. Summer fares reach their peak, and pricing remains high through Aug. 13, when prices drop for weekday fares.
Fall season
Best day to fly: Aug. 27. This is when the high summer fares drop for weekends as well as weekdays, and lower fares will rule until a big jump for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving falls early in 2018, on Nov. 22. Look for cheap fares the week after the holiday and into early Decem- ber, when higher Christmas and New Year’s fares kick in.
Europe
Cheap times to fly: Jan. 9-March 16. Prices drop as much as 40% over holiday fares. Higher fares: May 29-June 15. Fares begin to rise for summer.
Highest fares: June 16-July 15. Peak summer pricing is in effect. Cheaper fall fares take over beginning around Sept. 10.
FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney (@rickseaney) is an airline industry insider and top media air travel resource.
You can make it a cheaper spring break by flying a Tuesday-to-Saturday or Saturdayto-Wednesday itinerary.