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As the halfway point of the spring semester approaches, there’s only one thing on college students’ minds: spring break. Whether your spring break includes a relaxing beach with friends or crazy night outs in a bustling city, you can’t avoid the grueling process of planning — especially when it comes to booking flights.

Booking flights for any trip is crucial to do as soon as possible, but it’s even more important to get out of the way when planning a spring break trip due to all the traffic and traveling happening for college students across the country. 

First Item On The Agenda

The first item on the list that needs to be completed is to pick a vacation destination. Now, availability and prices will vary depending on your destination, but according to Google Flights the top 10 flight destinations for 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; and Las Vegas, Nevada.

friends on spring break trip
Photo by Jorn Eriksen from Unsplash

Once you pick a destination, book your flights ASAP to maximize savings and flights with decent departure times. To save money, you may want to fly out to your destination in the middle of the week — Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday flights have been 12% cheaper than weekend departures, according to Google. The next decision on whether to book a nonstop flight or take a layover. Taking a layover will significantly impact the price of your flight — Google Flights says fares for nonstop flights are about 20% higher than those with layovers.

When To Buy Flights

Are you wondering the best time to purchase flights? According to Google Flights, prices tend to be lowest 23 to 59 days before your departure, and 38 days out are when they hit their low point. If you’re planning to go on a trip at the last minute, be prepared to pay higher fares.

To stay on top of changing flight prices, stay up to date on Google Flights. You’ll be able to see price insights that’ll indicate whether a current price is a good deal compared to prices recorded over the past years for similar flights. Another great hack is to turn on Google’s price tracking. That way, you’ll get emails about price changes specific to your destination and travel dates.

Even though planning for a trip can be a stressful nightmare, using as many resources as possible to save some cash will help every other detail fall into place. 

Brooklyn Frederes is a Her Campus Writer for the Culture and Entertainment section. She writes content about a range of topics, such as pop culture, beauty, fashion, relationships, and self-help. Brooklyn recently graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in Journalism and English with a publishing track, where she focused on fiction and creative writing. She also was a writer and editor for the University of Iowa's Her Campus Chapter, writing and reflecting on personal experiences. In her free time, you can find Brooklyn reading romance novels, brainstorming book ideas, binging time period dramas, spending her money on makeup and skincare products, or hanging out with her sisters. She also is a day-one Swiftie who loves talking about anything Taylor Swift related and obsesses over her music.