If you’re looking to book spring or early summer flights, you’ve probably noticed airfares have gotten much more expensive lately. In fact, prices for airline tickets have jumped nearly 20 percent compared to last February, according to recent data from Hopper.
Part of the jump in price is due to ongoing strong travel demand. For instance, JetBlue Vacations booking data shows travel in February and March is already pacing 60 percent higher than the same time period in 2022. Right now, U.S. travelers are booking a mix of domestic and international destinations for spring trips—mostly to seaside spots offering warm weather, but to a few major cities, too.
According to Google Flights, the most popular spring break destinations in 2023 are:
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Fort Myers, Florida
- Rome, Italy
- San José del Cabo, Mexico
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Key West, Florida
- Las Vegas, Nevada
You can still book cheap flights for spring break
The good news for travelers is that even though average airline ticket prices have jumped, there are still affordable airfares to be found. Utilizing the right search tools and booking windows can yield cheap flights and plenty of savings.
Time your purchase just right
Google studied airfares between 2018 and 2022 and found that average prices for domestic trips are lowest when booking 44 days ahead of time. For spring break flights (travel in March and April) that window drops to 38 days out. So now’s the time to purchase flights for April vacations.
Use the Google Flights Explore Map
In addition to its regular search feature, Google Flights has a tool called Explore Map, which plots a variety of flights around the world from your home airport. It's interactive and repopulates new flight deals as you move the map to different regions, so it can be especially useful for inspiration.
Some examples of cheap flights from New York that it is currently highlighting include deals to some of the most popular spring break destinations like: round-trip to San Juan from $158 in late April; round-trip to New Orleans from $80 in late March; round-trip to Rome from $488 in April; and roundtrip to San Jose Del Cabo from $312 in early March.
Other current Explore Map deals include roundtrip flights from New York to Tromsø, Norway from $609 in early May; to Paris from $444 in mid-April; to Lagos from $745 in late March; to Los Angeles from $188 at the end of April; and to Miami from $74 in March.
Fly during the middle of the week
An easy way to save money on airfare is to avoid flying on weekends. Try booking flights for Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday—they've recently been 12 percent cheaper than weekend departures on average. In fact, according to one Expedia report, travelers who start a domestic trip by flying on Wednesday usually save an average of 15 percent on airfare. For international flights, departing mid-week can save up to 20 percent.