It used to be that the best airline deals were tied to a specific day of the week (between midnight and 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning), but now, that is no longer the case. The focus these days is on how far in advance travelers need to book a flight to snag a deal.
CBS travel editor said the sweet spot is between 24 and 54 days out.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when the computer algorithms really kind of tell the airlines who flew last year on this day, who is flying this year on this day, and do those numbers hold up. And if they don鈥檛 hold up, the fares come down,鈥� said Greenberg, who added that busy travel days such as the day before Thanksgiving or the Friday before the Super Bowl are exempt from this system.
When it comes to picking a destination for your flight, some of the best deals right now are overseas. Between 2015 and 2017, the U.S. saw a , according to from the U.S. Department of Commerce. And while this drop has a negative on the U.S. economy, it means there are more options for Americans interested in foreign travel.
鈥淲hat would have been their return tickets home become your outbound tickets there 鈥� a lot of excess capacity overseas this summer to places that you might not even otherwise know about,鈥� said Greenberg, who added that the U.S. dollar is also strong right now 鈥� another plus for American tourists.
If you鈥檙e sitting on airline rewards and miles, don鈥檛 wait too long to use them.
鈥淓very day you hold on to a frequent flyer mile is a day that they basically change the rules, and they鈥檙e not beneficial to you,鈥� Greenberg said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 trust the airlines as airlines, why would I trust them as banks?鈥�
Pick a destination that鈥檚 a little off the beaten path (not France, not Hawaii 鈥� 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to get a seat,鈥� Greenberg said) and book it. One place he recommends is the , located between Iceland and Norway.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great place for outdoor hiking, adventure, wildlife, and of course, the best place to watch the Northern Lights,鈥� he said.
Another destination to consider is Rwanda, which Greenberg said has made 鈥渢he most unbelievable turnaround鈥� in the last few decades. According to , tourism in the East African country grew 30 percent between 2015 and 2017, and Rwanda more than between 2010 and 2016.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e the cleanest country in Africa, the biggest economy 鈥� 64 percent of the Parliament is women 鈥� what a great place to visit. Plus, of course, the mountain gorillas,鈥� Greenberg said.
Staying in the States
It鈥檚 also a great time for domestic travel, since are relatively steady. If you鈥檙e pondering a road trip, Greenberg recommends planning a 鈥渙ne-tank trip鈥� 鈥� 鈥淲here can you go from any major or minor city in America on one tank of gas and return?鈥�
Consider exploring the areas surrounding Madison, Wisconsin, or Minneapolis, Minnesota. Up for a longer drive? Greenberg said 鈥渢ake a look at the flyover states, which are so beautiful.鈥�
鈥淕et off the interstate, do the two-lane county highways or the two-lane county roads and plan accordingly. You鈥檙e not only going to see America, you鈥檙e going to see the undiscovered America the way it鈥檚 supposed to be seen.鈥�
And, of course, don鈥檛 forget about the train. Amtrak serves more than 500 destinations in the U.S. and sells passes for 15- and 30-day trips, plus it offers deals for children. A pro tip from Greenberg: Book the sleeper car and save money on hotel costs.
鈥淚鈥檓 still a kid when I get on a train, every time,鈥� Greenberg said.
