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The Worst Days To Travel This Holiday Season
Nov. 08, 2017
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2 min read
The Worst Days To Travel This Holiday Season
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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
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- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Apply for Capital One Venture X Business
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Best for businesses with high spending
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month