- Experts told Insider that you can easily save 40% to 75% on travel by delaying December flights until 2023.
- Travel in January, February or March for great savings on domestic and international flights.
- I found 12 early 2023 flight deals to Hawaii, Europe and the Caribbean.
The year-end holiday travel season is fast approaching and experts predict this year will be as busy as ever. They are not only Crowded airports and affordable hotel rooms hard to come by, but airfare prices are expected to soar.
“The period around Christmas and New Years is typically the most expensive three weeks for airfare of the year,” said Katy Nastro, a spokeswoman for Cheap Scott Flights. “Schools are on vacation and people want to fly home to be with family. That increase in demand in a short period leads to significantly higher fares.”
But Nastro also told Insider that steep price tags don’t mean you have to skip them entirely. Around January 8, when children go back to school and families return to work, Nastro said he sees airfare prices shift in the opposite direction. January and February are the two least expensive months of the year for flights, he said.
“Cheap flights are plentiful if you’re traveling from the second week of January through early March,” Nastro told Insider. “During that time frame, you’ll often see rates that are 80% cheaper than over the Christmas and New Year period.”
The same flights that are expensive in December are hundreds of dollars cheaper a few weeks later in January.
According to Scott’s Cheap Flights, a flight from Seattle to Honolulu from December 23 to 30 costs just over $1,000, while the same flight from January 16 to 23 costs just $198. share with an email newsletter subscriber base, they also revealed that a cross-country flight from Los Angeles to Boston from December 22-29 costs nearly $900, while the same flight from January 11-18 costs just $140. These flights are direct or have a single layover.
Nastro also said that not only are flights cheaper from January to March, but you’ll also save on accommodation, car rentals, tours and activities if you wait.
“Unlike Christmas or New Years, in mid-January there are no lines at the museum, few waits even at the best restaurants, popular beaches with lots of open space,” Nastro said. “Delaying your plans a few weeks will not only mean a cheaper trip, but also a better one.”
Save on flights to Hawaii expecting to travel in early 2023.
M Swiet Productions/Getty Images
Are here 12 Cheap Flight Deals I Found for Early 2023 That Flexible Travelers Should Consider
Following Nastro’s suggestion, I searched Kayak and Google for cheap flight deals in early 2023 and found cheap flights from major US hubs to places like Europe, Hawaii and the Caribbean on airlines like American, Spirit, United and JetBlue. All flights are direct or have a single layover and often in basic economy class. Prices are accurate at time of publication, but are subject to change.
- New York City to Dublin on British Airways with one layover
January 9 – 16: $434 (compared to $1,660 at the end of December) - Houston to Cancun Nonstop on Spirit Airlines
January 17 – 24: $168 (compared to $852 at the end of December) - Seattle to Honolulu on American Airlines with one layover
January 23 – 31: $275 (compared to $1,078 at the end of December) - Los Angeles to Boston nonstop on JetBlue
January 11 – 18: $198 (compared to $889 at the end of December) - Atlanta to Antigua on American Airlines with one layover
January 12 – 18: $365 (compared to $1,532 at the end of December) - Phoenix to Miami on Spirit Airlines and Frontier with one layover
January 9 – 16: $217 (compared to $737 at the end of December) - Chicago to Las Vegas nonstop on Spirit Airlines
January 10 – 17: $87 (compared to $435 at the end of December) - Boston to Paris on PLAY Airlines with one layover
January 20 – 27: $304 (compared to $1,498 at the end of December) - San Francisco to New York City nonstop on JetBlue
January 19 – 25: $218 (compared to $527 at the end of December) - Miami to Aruba Nonstop on American Airlines
February 3 – 10: $480 (compared to $745 at the end of December) - Dallas to San Jose, Costa Rica, on Spirit Airlines with one layover
January 26 – February 2: $361 (compared to $1,037 at the end of December) - New York City to Barcelona on Tap Air Portugal with one layover
January 15 – 22: $370 (compared to $1,121 at the end of December)
Cheap last-minute flights aren’t available around Christmas or New Years, but are likely to be available a few weeks later.
Jingying Zhao/Getty Images
The bottom line is that if you have the flexibility to wait to travel, it makes a lot of financial sense.
Cheap last-minute flights at Christmas or New Years are probably an oxymoron. According to my research, they are basically impossible to find since everyone is fighting for a seat at the same time when the holiday season comes to a head and the year comes to a close.
I’ll take Nastro’s advice and wait until January or February, or maybe even March, to save any significant amount of cash.
