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The holiday season has come and gone, and with a new year comes a new opportunity to start checking dream trips off your travel bucket list. Already started planning your next adventure? You're in luck: January is the ideal month to book that next life-changing vacation.
Aside from the feeling of starting your year off on the right foot, the first few months of the year may offer some of the best travel deals you'll find in all of 2022. In particular, flights for this summer will never be cheaper to purchase than they will be this winter; there's less demand for summer flights the further out you book. Looking to avoid the summer crowds? Off-season flights can be booked at much lower prices, around one to three months out for domestic travel and two to eight months in advance for international travel.
That means there's no better time than now to book that sun-soaked Spanish summer getaway or dreamy fall Tuscan wine trip. And cruise lovers are in for even better bargains.
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"The first few months of every year is when cruise lines see the majority of the year's bookings get sold," said Charles Sylvia, the vice-president of industry and trade relations for Cruise Lines International Association. "Highly attractive promotions are offered by practically every cruise brand."
Celebrity Cruises runs their "Cruise with Confidence" promotion for all sailings booked by the end of January, which allows guests to cancel their cruise up to 48 hours before departure for any reason and receive a future cruise credit without penalty.
Besides the great deals, upgraded rooms, and free drinks packages, January is also an excellent time for cruise travelers to get first pick of the best cabins available.
Airlines are getting in the game, too. Delta has committed to offering zero change fees for travelers booking main cabin seats or higher, which can be canceled with no charge for Delta credit towards a future flight. That means booking that dream trip several months in advance—when prices are lower—is risk-free.
Travelers may be hesitant to commit to plans at the moment, and rightfully so. Ever-changing travel protocols continue to make travel more complicated than pre-pandemic. However, for those who have their heart set on a destination and have flexibility in regards to shifting dates, the benefits of booking sooner rather than later are sure to pay off.
See more at TripSavvy
