Holiday travel can be one of those love/hate experiences. You love to connect with friends and family; you hate that everyone else is trying to do it at the same time. Here are a few tips to save money and have the most enjoyable experience during the holiday travel season. Although I specifically refer to Thanksgiving and Christmas, these tips apply to any holiday travel.
Flexibility rules for the holidays. Because so many travelers can’t or won’t be flexible, those who can will score the best airfares while avoiding some of the crowds.
1) Historically, the best booking window for holiday air is between 10 and 12 weeks out. Utilize some of the flight search websites for comparison shopping, but NOT for booking. See #2.
2) Book directly with the airline. Utilizing a third party such as Expedia or Orbitz adds a non-human “middle-man” and can hamper you significantly if you experience problems such as flight delays or cancellations. I’ve heard some customer service horror stories of passengers being batted back and forth between the airline and the booking site when a problem arises. And good luck getting a live person on the phone from one of those booking engines. Additionally, any savings will probably be eaten up in hidden fees or inconveniences.
3) Avoid the popular travel days, if possible. Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving are the busiest travel days of the YEAR in the US. Can you leave on Tuesday or return on Saturday? And, if it works for you, traveling on Thanksgiving Day is the cheapest.
Christmas and New Year’s Day are on Monday this year. Two long weekends to challenge you! Try to avoid Friday/Saturday before and Tuesday after. And, as with Thanksgiving, flying on the actual holidays can save you a lot of money.
4) Alternative airports. Are you traveling to or from an area with multiple airports? There can be some significant fare differences within the same market at different airports, so it’s always worth checking. Just make sure you factor in any additional ground transportation costs, if applicable.
As a bonus, smaller or alternative airports are usually much less crowded making security lines shorter and the airport experience more pleasant.
5) Try to book first flight out. If weather or mechanical issues pop up, you’ll stand a better chance of getting to your destination the same day on a later flight. And, if you don’t care what time you arrive, you may be able to score some free vouchers or extra miles if the airline needs volunteers for overbooked flights.
Have a wonderful time. Yes, it’s crowded and yes, holiday travel can be trying, but it can also be a lot of fun. Airports are the best for people watching. And folks, overall, are in a good mood. Friends and families reuniting, military personnel returning home, business travelers taking a much-needed break. It’s all good.
Will you be flying this year during the holidays? I'd love to know!
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