As millions of Americans are flying home after spending the holidays with family and friends, travel experts recommend they do not put away their suitcases yet if they want to save money on their next vacation.
The best time to save on airfares and hotels may be January and February, especially for travelers to Asia and Europe, according to analysts at Going.com, a membership-based travel service platform.
“After the winter holidays, something magical happens,” Katy Nastro, a travel expert with Going.com, said. “About a week after New Year’s Day, airfare drops up to 80%, and you can find deals to Europe, Asia and pretty much anywhere across the States.”
Winter travelers may have to pack heavy with parkas and sweaters, but places that were pricey to visit in the past summer will be much cheaper during the colder months, according to Nastro.
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“A lot of us get cozy after traveling for the winter holidays, not thinking about traveling. But if you want to save in 2024, it’s a fantastic time to travel.”
For example, following the high-demand, expensive summer period of 2023, airfares to some of the typical European hot spots are likely to become cheaper, according to Nastro, with some roundtrip flights costing around $500 from the West Coast.
Coming out of the post-pandemic travel boom, cities and countries are also putting more resources into their tourism infrastructure, which could lead to new airline routes, hotels -- more options for vacationers.
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For one, a new Japanese budget airliner called ZIPAIR began offering roundtrip services from U.S. cities, including Los Angeles. While many of the cheaper flight options do not include additional costs like luggage fees and seat selection charges, the low-cost carrier offered flash sales for flights from LAX to Narita International Airport in Tokyo for as low as $91.
“They are very bare-bone, basic tickets, but they help to put pressure on those Deltas, Americans and all those legacy carriers.”
Nastro added Fiji can be a less expensive alternative for tropical vacationers in the coming year because the island nation in the South Pacific expanded its tourism capacity, adding new flight routes from North America and a new cruise line, along with more hotel offerings.
“We expect Fiji to have a significant year in terms of tourism numbers,” Nastro predicted. “Fiji Airways has transitioned to a bigger craft, which means more capacity to fly more people from North America and more pricing availability.
Nastro said typical deals to Fiji from North America cost about $700 but West Coast travelers could see cheaper flights.
There also be more deals popping up for Greenland as the European country is set to spend over $300 million to build three, new airports, according to Nastro.
Another option for budget travelers is visiting less-known cities or countries.
For example, instead of Madrid or Barcelona, Nastro said Valencia is a good Spanish city to visit without spending big-city money.
“We expect tourists to look to go to new places, like off-the-beaten-path destinations or somewhere different.”
See the full list of money-saving travel destinations for 2024 from Going.com.
