7 ways it pays to book ahead this year

With the holidays behind us, many people are planning trips for 2025. Traveling is often stressful, but there are things you can do to make it feel less so.

Here are seven ways to book ahead and save this year.

Lyft-DoorDash partnership

Lyft and DoorDash users who link their accounts can take advantage of several perks throughout the year, including:

• 5% off on-demand rides
• 10% off up to four scheduled airport rides, up to four rides per month
• Two free priority pickup upgrades monthly
• Free three-month DashPass trial for new members

Lyft typically offers time-sensitive travel promos throughout the year, so be sure to check your Lyft account for those rollouts.

To participate, link your DoorDash and Lyft accounts here.

UberX Share and Shuttle

Uber rolled out two options for airport-bound travelers to save money. It reintroduced the option to book an UberX Share at 10 airports, specifically:

• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C.
• Miami International Airport (MIA)
• Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
• Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)

Riders who book UberX Share can save up to 25% on regular UberX fares, even if they're not matched with a co-rider.

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For riders traveling to and from New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA), consider booking an Uber Shuttle. For $18 one-way, users can book a shuttle to the airport, up to four seats. Users can book an Uber Shuttle up to seven days in advance and just five minutes before scheduled departure on three different routes to or from LGA. Service is available weekly every 30 minutes, from 5 a.m. through 10:45 p.m.

Rebook your reservations if the price drops

To get the best airfare deal, book airfare and hotel reservations for domestic itineraries at least one or two months in advance and around three or four months in advance for international trips.

In addition to using points and miles to book your travel reservations, consider monitoring your bookings to see if the price drops. If it does, pending your reservation type, you can cancel and rebook at the new price. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of your reservations to verify this is an option. For example, many basic economy fares are nonrefundable.

Although all airlines offer a 24-hour free cancellation window, you're subject to varying individual airline policies 24 hours after booking.

Typically, full-fare economy tickets or higher-class tickets are the most flexible, with basic economy tickets being the most restrictive.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines all allow passengers to change their tickets without paying a change fee. Generally, you can rebook and get airline flight credits for any price difference between the two flights.

Alternatively, certain higher-level tickets offer full refunds.

Some ultra-low-cost airlines relaxed change and cancellation fee policies in 2024, making it easier to cancel and rebook.

If you book using airline points or miles, policies usually refund you the points or miles.

Lounge reservations

Due to overcrowding, many airport lounges provide the option to reserve a spot for entry (and some even require it).

For example, the reservation system is now live at the Capital One Landing at D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The restaurant-style lounge concept just opened in November 2024.

If you are planning on visiting an airport lounge during your travels, double-check ahead of time to see if it has a reservation system and whether you can reserve a spot. Some lounges have waitlists, but you cannot book a spot until you arrive at the airport.

This is the case for The Club MDW at Chicago's Midway International Airport (MDW). It has a timed entry system that you can only join in real time by scanning the QR code at the door.

National park reservations

Many U.S. national parks require timed entry reservations on specific days throughout the year during peak travel dates. Some of these national parks include Mount Rainier, Yosemite, Glacier, Arches and Rocky Mountain.

Several parks require permits to access specific areas like campgrounds. This is the case at Zion, Arches, Shenandoah, Acadia, Haleakala and Great Smoky Mountains.

Before visiting, double-check the entry requirements at each national park.

Tourist sights reservations

In addition to overtourism taxes, cities have begun requiring timed entry requirements for certain tourist attractions during high holiday periods.

As Rome preps for Jubilee, the city will require visitors to book a timed entry for the Trevi Fountain in 2025. This may include fixed time slots and a capacity limit for the fountain and the steps around it.

Airport parking reservations

If you are parking at the airport this holiday season, remember that you can book in advance at many airport parking sites, including LGA, SFO and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

While parking lot reservations are not required, they guarantee a spot without concern and can also save you money.

In some places, these savings can go as high as 50%, though that number varies from airport to airport.

Bottom line

From navigating airport logistics to booking advance reservations, planning as much as possible will likely alleviate some stress throughout your travels.

Even so, remember that you can only control so much when it comes to travel, so try to enjoy the process along the way.

Related reading:

• Airlines that offer you a credit if the price of airfare drops
• How to re-price a Southwest flight when the fare decreases
• The least expensive cards for airport lounge access
• Amex shutters yet another Centurion Lounge amenity, adds new coffee bar
• New year, new approach: How to choose your best credit card strategy for 2025