If you want — or need — to travel this holiday season, start planning now because the ideal time to book Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s travel is fast approaching. 

“The most important thing is for travelers to continue to think about planning now and booking in October,” said Hayley Berg, lead economist at travel site Hopper. “That window of low prices is brief, but it can really pay off.”

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But travelers who miss that window might have a last resort: so-called Travel Tuesday, which is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

That day, “pretty much the whole travel industry goes on sale,” said Berg.

Whenever you decide to confirm your reservations, keep in mind that traveling during the holiday season can be fraught with complications, said Sally French, a travel expert at NerdWallet.

“The holidays are a difficult time to travel because not only are you dealing with what’s likely to be tougher holiday weather, but also working with bigger crowds,” said French.

Here’s how to make sure you’re getting a good value. 

On average, round-trip flights for Thanksgiving — defined as departures from Nov. 24 to 28 — currently cost about $298, according to Hopper’s 2024 Holiday Travel Outlook report. That is up 10% from a year ago and 3% from pre-pandemic levels, the travel site found. 

Prices are expected to fall by about $40 on average until they reach their lowest level in early October, when prices will likely be in line with 2023 levels, the report noted.

Similarly, airfare for Christmas trips — defined as the week of Dec. 21 to 25 — are hovering at an average $406 per round-trip booking, up 4% from a year ago and 13% from pre-pandemic, per Hopper.

However, prices are expected to fall by about $80 from current levels until they reach their lowest point in October, according to the report.

“It’s really important for travelers to be thinking about booking their travel now, so that when October rolls around, they’re ready,” said Berg. 

If you are “super last-minute and want to book something for Christmas or New Year’s,” according to Berg, “one good day to bookmark” is Dec. 3, or this year’s Travel Tuesday. 

“You might get lucky and … swing something last minute,” said Berg, as the deals that day can include major discounts on hotel stays, airfare and rental cars.