12 Dates You Need To Know To Book the CHEAPEST Flights in 2024

If you’re traveling in 2024 — whether that’s to Disney World or any other destination — you might be looking at flights right now, and sometimes those price tags can be SCARY.

Airplane

Airfare can definitely eat up a significant chunk of your vacation budget, but we’ve got some information that will help you find the CHEAPEST flights possible!

Hopper has released a chart detailing the best days to book your flight for some of the most popular holidays in 2024. If your trip falls on one of these holidays, be sure to take note of the deadline to book in order to secure the cheapest flights possible.

~~President’s Day (February 19th): Book by January 8th (ideal booking date passed)~~
~~St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th): Book by January 18th (ideal booking date passed)~~
Easter (March 31st): Book by February 9th
Memorial Day (May 27th): Book by April 15th
Juneteenth (June 19th): Book by May 1st
July 4th: Book by June 1st
Labor Day (September 2nd): Book by August 9th
Indigenous Peoples’ Day (October 14th): Book by August 15th
Veteran’s Day (November 11th): Book by September 21st
Thanksgiving (November 28th): Book by October 31st
Christmas (December 25th): Book by October 31st
New Year’s Eve (December 31st): Book by December 1st

If you can book a little bit before those dates, that’s best, but at least try to book by the day listed above. Here’s a look at Hopper’s complete holiday guide:

©Hopper

More Tips To Know Before You Fly

Know When To Book

For a while, people believed that Tuesday was the best time to book a flight. That may have been true previously, but recent research shows that there is really no consistent significant difference in flight prices between Tuesdays and other weekdays.

Boarding

Airline prices will change from the moment they become available to hours before the flight happens. If you have some flexibility in your schedule, keep an eye on flight prices for about a week to see how the prices change and what the potential lowest price could be. After you’ve seen some of the trends, you can make a more informed decision about booking your flight.

Southwest Airlines

A good general rule of thumb is to book your flight somewhere between 1 and 3 months before the flight date. Booking earlier or later could result in higher prices. If you do book early and then find a cheaper flight later on, see what your airline’s cancelation policy is. It might be worth it to cancel your flight and re-book the cheaper one.

Which Day Should You Fly?

Now that you know when to book your flight, it’s time to decide which flight to book! Some days of the week yield lower-priced flights than others. According to NerdWallet, “For economy tickets, Tuesdays are about 24% lower than peak prices on Sundays, which translates to savings of about $85 per ticket.” CNN agrees, stating that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days to travel. This makes sense, as many vacationers will travel during the weekend and most business trips happen on Mondays.

Which Months Are the Cheapest for Travel?

If you’re looking at months instead of days, there are a few big travel months to potentially avoid as well. You won’t be surprised to hear that December and November are the most expensive months for travel, as many people return home or go on vacation for the holidays. June and July are close behind as the peak summer travel months.

Orlando Airport TSA Lines

The BEST months to fly are January and February. Those who traveled in November and December have returned home at this point, and they’ll likely take a couple of months off before traveling again. People have returned to work and kids are back in school after the holiday break, so demand is significantly lower for flights, which translates into lower prices.

Let the App Do the Work

Instead of going to each airline’s website to look at prices, you can take advantage of flight tracker apps like Hopper or Kayak. These apps will alert you when ticket prices change and can help you decide when to book a flight and when to hold out for possibly lower rates.