Cheap Last-Minute Holiday Plane Tickets

Three airlines are offering great deals on dates typically blacked out for other airlines, including December 25 and January 1. If you are looking to book last-minute travel, you should check out deals at Midwest, Northwest and United.

United $94 Round trip tickets

United is offering tickets under $100 for the busiest travel days of Dec. 16, 17, and 25 and January 1 and 4. These dates tend to be heavy with holiday travel, especially for students looking to get home for the holidays. If you haven’t booked yet, try to capitalize on the lowest fares by booking on these high travel days. You may also find good fares on  Dec. 20, 21, 24, 30, and 31 but should avoid Dec. 18, 19, 22, 23, 26, 28, and 29.

The reason behind this complicated date schedule is market research. Officials at the airlines believe they can create bigger profits on the days mentioned by charging higher fees, and you will be penalized as a result. The best tickets are on short flights between major cities on those specific dates mentioned.

The Catch

• All three of the airlines mentioned, Northwest, Midwest and Delta, charge fees for checked luggage. If you are truly going to capitalize on the low price, try packing all of your belongings into a carry on for the short trip. This can be hard if you are planning on taking along presents. As such, it is advisable to consider shipping the gifts all at once. Shipping one box can cost as little as $30 if done in advance. You will also have the advantage of not having to carry and pack the boxes when you are traveling. If you do happen to carry on presents, you should be aware that security may ask you to unwrap any gift box. It is better to simply wait until you arrive at your destination to wrap gifts.
• You should be aware of the conditions of the ticket. For example, you have to purchase your ticket at least 3 days in advance to get the United deal.
• You must also be staying at least three nights or be staying overnight on a Friday or Saturday at your destination to get the deal. Flying only during the week will not result in the same savings.
• Finally, you need to purchase the ticket by December 16 - which is just around the corner!

Holiday Hotel Deals

Most hotels are finding their income is going down this year. Even though the rough economy is not having a large impact on how many people are flying or traveling, it is changing the way they enjoy themselves at their final destination. Most people will opt to stay with friends or family where possible. You should too to max your savings! However, if this is not possible, then check hotel holiday deals for similar discount offers. The best deals are coming from smaller hotels that do not have a large corporate backing to get them through the hump. Look into bed and breakfasts or independent hotels in the area. You can also pursue savings by being selective about when you stay - Sundays are cheapest.

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