It's no secret that the Fourth of July is an extremely popular time to go on vacation. In 2017, data from auto club AAA estimated that a total of 44.2 million people in America would be traveling via car, plane, or train around July 4 holiday celebrations. Considering the holiday is usually a long weekend or a nice mid-week break for just about everybody, and the fact that it basically signifies the beginning of summer, traveling makes sense. Of course, most travel companies aren't going to take it easy on those who choose to go away at that time of year — in fact, most are going to take advantage of the situation to make as much money as possible. That said, if you're considering going away this year, you'll want to look into it now: According to data supplied to Bustle from travel website KAYAK, prices for July 4 flights are set to increase by June 9. Luckily, if you want to score a good price for a July 4 flight, there are still some available — you just need to jump on them quickly.
According to KAYAK's data, prices for July 4 flights are going to start increasing on Sat. Jun. 9. That means that you don't have a lot of time to jump on cheaper options before they're all gone — in fact, you only have a few days. And let's just that planning a vacation around a holiday like the Fourth of July in a matter of days is... well, it's definitely not the easiest thing in the world.
To find the most inexpensive airfare, you'll want to start looking now, like right now. In general, you should book summer airfare six weeks before Memorial Day to save the most money, but obviously, that ship has sailed. Recent data from travel booking site Hipmunk says that booking about three weeks in advance for U.S. destinations can save travelers up to 14 percent throughout the year, although they do note that these savings can be even lower for summer trips. So, again, that means book your tickets right now.
Another way to potentially save money if you're going away for the holiday is to try to avoid flying on the busiest days. According to Hipmunk, Jun. 29, which is the Friday before the July Fourth holiday, is set to be the most expensive day to leave for a trip, with airfare averaging about $617 per person. Sat. Jun. 30th is also going to be a very expensive and busy travel day. Consider your schedule: are you able to leave on Thurs. Jun. 28? It's definitely not possible for everyone, but if it's something you could work around, you'll want to look into every potential flight combination until you find one that works for you.
Aside from looking at different flights on different dates, you can also look for different airports. For example, if you're flying out of New York, you might want to try checking Laguardia or Newark flights instead of flights out of John F. Kennedy airport. JFK tends to have more expensive airfare, while Laguardia and Newark can be more inconvenient for some, but probably cheaper. It's worth looking into!
Nowadays, thanks to the internet, there are so many different tools that will help you find cheaper flight options. For example, KAYAK is offering something called Trip Huddle, which is supposed to help make trip planning for a group easier. It basically gives you and a group of people you're traveling with access to an online planner. The planner gives options for destinations, travel dates, and accommodations. Once everyone enters info, they can vote on each option. It's just an easier way to look at all of the different travel options out there and discuss them without it becoming too overwhelming. Who knows? Someone might find something cheaper than you did!
Then there are sites like TravelZoo, TravelPirates, and SkyScanner, all of which help you find the best deals for vacation planning, hotels, and airfare. And that's only naming a few!
The one thing you need to remember here? If you're planning on going away for July 4, start your planning immediately. Don't say I didn't warn you!
