Procrastinators be warned: When it comes to making holiday travel plans waiting until the last minute doesn’t pay. In fact, you’ll find in the end you are the one who will be paying big bucks to travel over the river and through the woods…
In a previous blog I explained why airfare on some of the most popular domestic flights has gone up dramatically over the last few months. But, I also provided you with a noteworthy resource (remember I called it “my secret weapon”) to help you secure the lowest holiday airfare possible.
Since then I have gathered a few more tips (specifically a list of key travel dates to keep in mind) for landing the best possible deal:
Use Common Sense. If I neglected to mention this earlier it’s only because I considered it a no-brainer: To save money on airfare this holiday season you need to avoid flying on peak travel days. Expect to shell out big bucks if you intend to fly on days when half the country is trying to get to grandma’s house and home again, particularly the Sunday after Thanksgiving (November 22nd).
According to priceline.com you will also be digging deep into your pocket if you plan to fly anytime between November 16th and November 18th. Right now the website is listing the lowest fares on the following dates: November 19, 22, 23 or 27.
As for Christmas and New Year’s things get a bit trickier. Take a look at your calendar and you’ll see why. Christmas and New Year’s both fall on a Tuesday this year, which means many travelers will likely be lengthening their trips to include a Saturday or Sunday (or both).
Again, I deferred to priceline.com, which currently lists the most expensive fares for Christmas and New Year’s travel as follows: December 20th through December 22nd, and January 4th through the 6th. The website says the best days to fly (in order to secure the lowest fare) are before December 19th or on December 24th, December 26th through December 28th, and December 31st. Priceline is also listing the costliest fares on December 30th. So, unless you absolutely must travel on that date or you don’t have to worry about saving money, I would suggest avoiding travel on that day.
Use Sites That Promote Flexible Travel. Travel websites such as Kayak.com and Orbitz.com help you find ways to save money on airfare by suggesting you tweak your dates and departure and return times. They even flash “helpful tips” that suggest plugging in alternate airports when the fares they have to offer are in the “high range.”
Sign Up For Fare Alerts. I mentioned this before, but in bears repeating—it pays to set up fare alerts, which will email you when fares drop. Click here to do so.
Related Articles:
Holiday Travel-Good News, Bad News
Ways To Save On Holiday Travel
A New Tool In The Battle To Find Cheap Airline Seats
Online Airfares–Finding the Best Deal
Airline Secrets Revealed: Affordable First-Class Fares
Travel Tidbits: Airline Tickets for $10… Now We’re Cooking
Travel Savings—Rental Cars and Destinations