Fall's Declining Airfares Make it Most Wonderful Time of Year for Travelers

— -- In travel circles, it’s well-known as the most wonderful time of the year.

No, it’s not Christmas. It’s shoulder season, in industry speak, otherwise known as post-Labor-Day-through-early November.

Low on crowds and high on pleasant weather, it’s the preferred time of year for those “in the know” to travel. And this year promises to be a sweeter-than-most shoulder season, according to Hopper.

While prices are quite a bit lower than they are in the summer months as a rule, airfare will hit a new low this fall, the airfare-prediction app said. The company’s Consumer Airfare Index is predicting average domestic airfare will dip to $248 this fall, which is the lowest average for the fall season in at least four years. Fall prices are projected to remain almost 4 percent below last year's levels.

Hopper’s predictions are in line with other data. In late 2014, travel giant Expedia predicted lower overall airfare for 2015 based on increased capacity and lower fuel prices. A mid-year (June) check in proved those predictions right for the first half of 2015.

And good news for those who hold onto December as the most wonderful time of the year: Hopper predicts airfare will be more than 12 percent cheaper this year than last.