SEATTLE — With Labor Day behind us and summer coming to a close, travel experts are encouraging people to look ahead to winter travel.
Flighty Travel and Aviation Correspondent Katy Nastro said this is not the time to waste when it comes to the holidays. “Booking ASAP is no longer a ‘maybe I should get to it.’ It is an imperative. You should definitely be booking your Thanksgiving and your winter holiday flights immediately,” Nastro said.
She tells KIRO 7 the holiday flight prices you see today are as good as they will get.
“Because of the impacts of elevated jet fuel, they’ve actually made ticket prices just so much higher. On average, they are between 20% and 25% higher,” Nastro said.
She said flight prices don’t have sweet spots like they used to for incredible deals; right now, the options are expensive, or even more expensive.
“I would say 2026 is a wash for thinking about prices dropping dramatically,” Nastro said.
Nastro tells us people should opt for a January or February visit home if they can instead of the holiday weeks if they want to save a few pennies.
“In theory, that should help with anybody that is looking for or is looking to take a trip in 2027 but might want to target the most affordable time period to do so,” Nastro said.
Nastro tells us price tracking options will help you find the best deal, but don’t gamble with that for too long.
“Whether that’s Google Flights, Skyscanner, and OTA, wherever, keep your price alerts tracking. Have that toggle on so you get those emails, you get these notifications,” Nastro said.
She said booking a main fare instead of basic economy is also a good idea, so you have more versatility instead of locking yourself into a nonrefundable ticket.