With spring just around the corner, many of us are looking forward to some much-needed travel — or maybe just daydreaming about it. I always laugh when I see the “Wanna Get Away” tickets that Southwest Airlines advertises, but that’s exactly how I feel right now!

But there’s so much to think about when it comes to travel, especially by air: the right destination, ticket prices, and the perfect travel dates. That last one’s the kicker when it comes to spring travel. In late November and December, you can expect ticket prices and number of travelers to be fairly consistent, given all of the holidays and breaks. That translates to higher prices and crowded airports!

In the spring, however, traveling can mean pulling a wild card. “Spring” breaks can be spread across February, March, and April, and many people travel in May as well — all before the summer rush. So how do you know the best (and worst) times to fly? Thanks to the the site Reward Expert, we can see clearly through the confusion!

They analyzed 5 years of spring travel data and came up with some really useful information. According to the site, you should definitely not travel on March 1, 12, or 13 if you can help it. Historically, those are the worst spring travel dates. “Worst” in this case means the most crowded airports, packed planes, and the highest number of delayed flights.

Reward Expert says that March 6, 30, and 31 are runners-up when it comes to headache, followed by April 3 and 7, and May 19 and 22. That might sound like a lot, but even with these 10 days crossed off your list, there’s still plenty of time to get that much-needed break.

As far as that goes, Reward Expert also identified some of the best travel dates. April 22 (Earth Day) and May 28 (Memorial Day) are generally easy travel days, probably because they’re holidays. Historically, April 11 and 18 have had the lowest numbers of delayed flights, so you might keep those on your radar, too.

Of course, you’ve also got to figure out how to snag the best ticket prices. WIth the variable pricing models that airlines now use, this can be tricky. Buy too early or too late, and you might pay too much. Many flight search engines allow  you to sign up for price alerts to help you find the right time to get tickets at the best price.

Don’t overlook budget airlines like Spirit, Southwest, and Frontier, either. Their ticket prices tend to be more stable because of their “ala carte” model: the base fare may include only the seat itself, and you pay extra if you want things like carry-on or checked bags, your choice of seats, or early check-in.

And if you’re still choosing your destination, you can expect popular spring break sites like Florida, Nassau, and Cancun to be crowded — and that means flights to those locations can be pricier. So if your plans are open, you might look into other destinations — unless you’re looking for that “spring break” experience!

One final spring travel tip: check out multiple airports for flying in and out of. We don’t always have a choice of airports, and those of us that do have several possibilities might just go with whichever has the cheapest flight.

However, you might look into regional airports like T.F. Green in Providence or Minneapolis Saint Paul International (rated among the best airports) and avoid major ones like Newark International (rated one of the worst). Savannah Hilton Head airport is my favorite little-known gem. It’s small, not at all crowded, and has a very easy check-in experience. And hey, it was named one of the Happiest Airports in 2015!

We hope these tips make your spring travel plans — or daydreams — a little easier!

Source:

Travel and Leisure