Should I Book My 2025 Spring Break Now?

Daydreaming about future travel has become a regular pastime in recent years. That means it might be a good time to start planning your 2025 flights and adventures — including spring break.

What’s to gain from booking your 2025 spring break now?

Waived change fees

Airlines have done away with change fees on most non-basic economy fares. This means you can book a random flight now based on your future travel assumptions and still be able to adjust your destination or dates in the future for free (assuming you don't mind tying up some money in an airline voucher).

Different airlines have different fine print. For instance, on American Airlines, you must start all travel within one year of the original ticket issue date, for Delta, you must change your flight within one year of purchase, but not necessarily fly within that time frame.

More time to earn points

If you have zeroed in on your ideal spring break destination already, your advance planning means you can further optimize your credit card spending (and points accrual) to fit your travel plans. You have plenty of time before spring break to earn points on everyday purchases like groceries and gasoline.

You could also spend the next few months fulfilling any bonus or sign-up offers for credit cards to later put the points toward your next spring break trip. Then, you’ll have a good supply of points to cash in by the time spring rolls around.

» Learn more: NerdWallet’s best travel credit cards

The bottom line

With generous booking allowances and travel credits available from major airlines, you could reserve your 2025 spring break trip with very little risk of losing money if you have to rebook. But there’s still some risk, especially if airlines start going bankrupt.

Still, the financial and emotional risks are different for every traveler: Do you want to get your hopes up for another trip that you may need to cancel due to illness? That’s for you to decide.