Wheels up: Trends and tips for 2026 holiday travel

What happened: Google published holiday travel booking guidance based on five years of aggregated Google Flights data, covering the cheapest times to book flights and this year's trending destinations. Key numbers: Domestic lowest prices 39 days before departure (22 to 57 day range). International 89 days (50 to 133). Why it matters: Google advises booking holiday flights as soon as possible, noting the Christmas low fare window shifted earlier than last year. It also says day of week matters little, while travel dates and connecting routes offer larger savings.

Google published holiday travel booking guidance based on five years of aggregated Google Flights data, covering the cheapest times to book flights and this year's trending destinations.

Google advises booking holiday flights as soon as possible, noting the Christmas low fare window shifted earlier than last year. It also says day of week matters little, while travel dates and connecting routes offer larger savings.