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The holidays are one of the busiest times for travel and this year is supposed to be the craziest yet. USA Today reports a “3% boost in passengers” for Thanksgiving alone, projecting “28.5 million” travelers will have a turkey to get to.
Luckily, there ways to protect yourself from the madness. According to the Cheat Sheet, Google Flights has calculated which dates will be the worst to travel this season thanks to data taken from the past two years, which means with a little planning you won’t have to spend Thanksgiving stranded in an airport, eating a sorry turkey sandwich.
The most important date to avoid is November 17th. Travelers should expect “long lines at the airport, flight delays or cancellations,” warns the Cheat Sheet. If you have any flexibility with your schedule, try and plan your trip earlier or later.
That said, the day before and after Thanksgiving are also on the “do not fly” list. So is November 26th, when USA Today estimates some “2.88 million passengers” will be taking to the friendly skies, resulting in delays getting home.
As for Christmas, the worst travel days are December 22nd – 24th. These dates are precariously close to Christmas Day, and bring an onslaught of travelers all at once. Expect December 29th to be busy as well as tourists gear up for New Year’s Eve festivities. And speaking of the New Year, it’s best not to head home from your celebratory location until after January 2nd — which if that means another day on the beach, isn’t such a bad thing after all.
H/T: Cheat Sheet
With some great bonus categories, the American Express Gold Card has a lot going for it. The card offers 4x points at US restaurants, at US supermarkets (up to $25,000; then 1x), and 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com. It is currently offering a welcome bonus of 35,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first three months.
- Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. restaurants. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with The Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Shake Shack, and Ruth's Chris Steak House. This is an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Airline Fee Credit: up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees at one selected qualifying airline.
- Choose to carry a balance with interest on eligible charges of $100 or more.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms apply.
- See Rates & Fees
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