When it comes to planning your holiday travel, we are always told sooner is better, but that might not be the case.
According to advance booking data from Expedia, for example, if you're flying home for Christmas, your optimum window to book tickets was anywhere from 14 to 20 days in advance to find the lowest airfare.
For Thanksgiving this year, it ended Sept. 23rd.
During holiday season, timing can be more important than ever. Wait too long and you could be stuck with a higher price.
Book too early, and you'll miss the best rates.
So here's how to find travel deals during the holidays:
• Look for the "secret" cheap days. The day of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years tend to be quieter and cheaper for airline tickets. A little flexibility can save you a lot of money.
• Want a whole week? Try "dead week" aka the first week of the year. It's typically the quietest week of the year and you can find great prices on tickets and accommodations.
• Be opportunistic. Many Caribbean destinations, struggling to recover from a wave of hurricanes, are expected to start discounting. Even places that aren't affected, but are in the same region, might lower prices. And don't feel guilty, these economies depend on tourism.