How to Find the Best Flight and Travel Deals Over Labor Day and Beyond
Travel usually favors those who plan ahead with the best prices.Think of airfares, which tend to spike close to departure, or cruise rates that rise as ships fill.But not every cost can be reduced with advance planning.
According to the booking site Hotels.com, last-minute bookers saved an average of 23 percent over those who booked four or more months ahead.On average, the best time to capture savings, it said, is eight to 14 days out.That’s great news for those just waking up to the fact that Labor Day is just a few weeks away.Most of the following budget strategies rest on one key principle: flexibility — whether you are traveling on Labor Day weekend or beyond.Track Airline DealsTo save on airfares, follow the deal, not the destination.Kayak’s new Monthly Flight Deal Tracker rounds up the lowest average round-trip fares from more than 30 American airports.
Users can pick a region to see domestic and international fare deals from cities in the area.For example, the tracker recently showed a round-trip August flight from Boston to Riga, Latvia, for $558, which it said was down 35 percent compared with July’s average price.
It also calls out the cheapest domestic route in the country — currently Atlanta to Jacksonville, Fla., averaging $55 round trip.Skyscanner users can make their destination “everywhere,” which brings up the cheapest flights across the world from a given airport.Expedia will track ticket prices and tell you when to book based on historical data if you join its free One Key rewards program.After you’ve booked, new A.I.-based apps will monitor the fare and, if it drops, request a refund from the airline, usually for a fee.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
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