In this series, we’re giving you all the expert advice on when to book your tickets. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you might be wondering if you should book your tickets now—especially if you’re seeing great prices—or if you should wait for a potentially better deal later. Unsure of whether the price will drop while you wait? We can’t say for sure, but we can give you a bit of advice based on trends from previous years. Here’s our best advice:
If you’ve found an incredible deal right now:
Say you’ve had your eye on a specific route or flight you need for a while and you’ve just found a great deal. Should you book it right away or wait for a potentially better deal on Black Friday or Cyber Monday? It’s a tough call—while it’s possible we’ll have a sale for it during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, it’s also true that the base fare of the tickets may increase between now and then. Thus, any savings you would get on Black Friday or Cyber Monday may just be a wash.
Verdict: Book now. It’s hard to say if those prices will still be low next month , and it’s hard to say if we’ll have a deal that will still be a better deal with any increases in fares over the next two months.
If you need study abroad tickets for next semester:
So you’re studying abroad next semester! Congrats, that’s awesome—you’re going to have an amazing time. But first, you need to buy some tickets. When to book them depends a lot on when and where you’re going. Tickets in early January, right at the end of the holiday season, will be more expensive than later in January or February. Plus, if you’re going to Europe, Asia or Australia—three places that we typically have great sales on during Cyber Monday—you can probably wait to buy. If you’re going somewhere a bit off-the-beaten-path or need to leave earlier in the semester, you might consider buying them now.
Verdict: Probably wait. If you’re going to Europe, Asia or Australia, you can probably expect reasonable prices plus awesome deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
If you’re flying home for the holidays:
Well, this depends on where home is for you and when you need to get there! Holiday travel can always be a bit more expensive than other times of the year. If you’re looking to fly internationally, waiting until just a few weeks in advance can be a bit risky. However, for domestic flights, Black Friday can be a great time to buy last-minute tickets home for the holidays. Still unsure when to book travel home for the holidays? Check out our guide on best times to book winter travel.
Verdict: For domestic flights, wait for Black Friday. If you’re flying internationally, it can be a bit of a gamble, but we *do* have amazing international deals on Cyber Monday.
If it’s less than two weeks to Black Friday/Cyber Monday:
You’ve got less than two weeks ‘til the big day(s), but you just spotted a good deal. Worth it to wait or should you just buy now and check it off your list? If it’s already a last-minute purchase (i.e. flying back to school after Thanksgiving break), probably better to just buy it now. If not though, it can be worth it to wait. We have promo codes for just about everything on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so if it’s coming right up, you can probably hold out for a deal.
Verdict: Just wait, especially if you’re buying a common or pretty popular route that’s not too last-minute. We’ll probably have a promo code or sale for you.
If you’re planning next year’s spring break/summer trip/vacation:
Not sure where you want to go, but definitely want to use up those vacation days next year? Thinking ahead to spring break but still discussing where to go in the group chat? Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great deals to browse, see where we have sales for and pick a destination that won’t break the bank. With deals for pretty much everywhere, both international and domestic, we have sales on tons of amazing places. You might even find a deal on somewhere awesome you hadn’t originally thought of going.
Verdict: Wait. We’ll have deals on almost everything between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Since you have plenty of time between now and your trip, prices shouldn’t jump up too much and you should be able to find a good deal.
If you’ve found a sale on something right now:
If we’re running a sale on a route you want tickets for right now, we may not be running a sale on the same route for Black Friday or Cyber Monday (we may, but no guarantees). Besides, if you’re getting a deal right now, why wait?
Verdict: Book now and grab the deals while they last.
TL; DR: If you’ve found a sale or great deal right now, are flying an uncommon route or need a ticket immediately, buy your tickets now! It’s probably not worth risking a huge price jump if you’re not sure we’ll have deals on your particular route.
If you’re thinking about tickets home for the holidays or are planning an international trip sometime next year, you’re probably good to wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
COMING SOON: stay tuned for our more info about our Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, including how to sign up for first-dibs and a chance to win $500!