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| Tips for booking holiday travel |
| by Brian Kelly |
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Hi everyone,
With school back in session and the leaves changing color, it’s time to think about holiday travel.
With airfare prices at an all-time high and the likelihood of weather and other delays disrupting travel, it’s no surprise that the thought of holiday travel already feels daunting.
But it doesn’t have to be.
Follow my tips below for booking and flying during the holidays to get the lowest prices and have the best possible holiday travel experience.
When to book holiday travel (hint: It’s now)
When it comes to holiday travel, especially Thanksgiving travel, book ASAP. Hopefully you’ve already booked Thanksgiving travel, but if not, do it now. Domestic Thanksgiving flights are up a whopping 31% from last year, according to booking app Hopper's recent forecast.
Flight prices around the end of the year are up double digits as well.
In a recent TPG survey, only 15% of holiday travelers had already booked all their travel. Flight prices during the holidays aren’t going down at this point, especially once mid-October hits, so book holiday travel now — don’t procrastinate.
All airfare is not created equal
At risk of sounding like a broken record here, I’ll say it again: don’t book basic economy flights, especially for holiday travel, when changing plans, weather disruptions and more could affect your flights.
I recognize the temptation of getting a lower price, especially when flight costs are so high. But you won’t be able to change your basic economy ticket, and you won’t have any extras, which can come in handy during those high-stress holiday travel dates. Boarding last and having to check your carry-on bag full of Christmas presents can send even the most even-keeled passenger into a tizzy, or sitting in the middle seat for hours during holiday tarmac delays could really put a damper on your day.
Monitor price drops using tools
There are tools you can use to monitor flights that will get you airline credit if the price drops. I personally like Junova, but there’s also pAiback, autopilot, JetBack, and others.
Fly on the holiday
Although I’ll be sticking around home for Thanksgiving this year (unless I decide to use points for a spur-of-the-moment European adventure), I’m eyeing a possible trip to Uruguay at the end of the year, and if I go, I may just fly on New Year’s Day to get a better deal.
Flying on the actual holiday is an easy way to save. Airports are empty, and you can still usually make it to wherever you’re headed for a midday meal or celebration if you’re traveling domestically.
I personally love flying on Christmas Day — I can still celebrate Christmas Eve with family, and then enjoy way less airport chaos by flying on December 25th. Meanwhile, flying on Thanksgiving Day may mean you’ll avoid the pre-meal kitchen drama, but you will get there just in time for turkey and stuffing.
If you’re flying overseas, you could always fly through the night on New Year’s Eve to get a more affordable airfare. And who knows, if you’re in business or first class, you may just get your Champagne toast at midnight in the air.
Now is the time to use points
Don’t hoard points this holiday season — dip into your pile of points as needed to save you money on exorbitant cash fares. And sometimes, you can find deals using your points. This is especially true with international travel — I’ve found many 60,000-point deals for business-class flights to Europe on Air France and KLM around the holidays this year that are still available.
Search for points deals using a website like seats.aero or point.me. You can get 4 additional months free when you join point.me and purchase a 12-month Standard or Premium plan — check out our TPG member offers page for more info on this and other travel programs.
The reality is that holiday airfare won’t be going down for the foreseeable future. It’s time to book now, use your points and be savvy about the dates you fly on to get the best deals.
Have a great weekend,
BK
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| Photo Credit: EMILIA WRONSKI/THE POINTS GUY. |
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