Holiday Travel: Dates to Avoid

Travel engines like Bing, Priceline and Cheap Tickets provide valuable advice about when to travel over the holidays. This year, flights are still expected to be lower than in the past. However, as the economy shows signs of recovery, they are expected to go up - so buy early!

When to Avoid

The dates to avoid around Thanksgiving and Christmas include:

• November: 25, 28 & 29
• December: (weekend before and after Christmas) 19-29, 23, 26-29
• January: 2-3

Tips for Holiday Travel

1. Take flights before 7AM. The hassle of an early airport trip will payoff big in your pocket. Aside from early morning flights, overnight flights tend to have the best deals. Many people shy away from overnight, but if you are flying from the west coast to the east coast, the time change and travel distance may play well to a red eye flight. The airport is usually less crowded on a red eye, meaning you will have less hassle getting to and from your gate.
2. Consider multiple airports in your area. For example, John Wayne airport in Orange County may have cheaper flights than LAX and additionally be less crowded in the holiday season.
3. Do not wait until the last minute to book your flight unless you have to. If you do have to, though, buy through a source like Priceline, which actually rewards you for waiting. Airlines will charge you much more to book last minute.
4. If you have to fly during a busy travel time, minimize the pain by only flying on one “red” day. For example, if you have to fly out for Thanksgiving on Wednesday, wait until Monday to fly home. This simple change will save you an average of $35.
5. Do not plan on parking at the airport! There may not be any spots left by the time you get there.

Average Air Fare

Sources predict the average air far for Thanksgiving traveling this year will be $340, while Christmas will be $374. Traveling for only one of these two holidays will save you immensely, especially when you tack on the fees for baggage, transport to the airport, and other penalties.

To avoid bag fees, consider shipping all of your gift prior to the date of travel then just carrying on. If you are shipping gifts, throw in heavy luggage. By packing items like sweaters and coats into the shipping containers, you will save having to pack these bulky items in suitcases. You may be able to totally carry on your travel necessities. Further, these are the items that can put you over the weight limit on airlines that do not charge for bags (which are very few these days).

Plan on buying toiletries when you arrive to avoid checking liquids. If you are staying with family, you may even request they have a few simple items for you when you arrive. They will be happy when they do not have to wait for you to get your bags once you arrive in town - ensuring you both benefit from the adjustment. Making these simple plans in advance will save an average family about $200 in fees on a single trip.

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