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Planning on spending the holidays with your family? Travel around the holidays can be notoriously busy, expensive and stressful. However, while some might think it’s a little early to plan holiday travel, it’s never too soon to get the best deals on tickets and trips. It’s hard to avoid the inevitable holiday crowds and limited availability of the best-priced tickets but we’ll share with you some tips and tricks to make sure you have the best possible holiday travel experience, whether you’re traveling from North Carolina to Florida, or to an exotic holiday get-a-way.
Avoid peak travel dates
Around Thanksgiving, the Wednesday before and the Sunday after, seem to be the days that everyone wants to travel, which is the cause of the lowest priced tickets selling out quickly. While it is cheapest to fly on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day, most try to avoid flying then. If you can, fly a few days before the holiday, and any day other than the Sunday after, chances are you’ll pay less for those tickets.
At Christmas and New Year’s, the peak travel dates change every year depending on when the holidays fall during the week. Although it’s pretty easy to figure out which dates will be more expensive than others, the days that will give you maximum family time without taking too much time away from work are generally the more popular and expensive dates to fly.
Book early
Hopefully, you have figured out your families travel plans for the holiday season. If so, the time to book is now. The earlier you book, the better. The better the chances you have for getting a great deal. Most travel agents, websites and airlines suggest that during the holiday season, you book travel at least three weeks or more in advance. You may even see prices drop in early November.
Shop around
In order to get the best deal for your holiday travels, check booking sites and check them often. Travel companies, and booking sites are often competing with each other to give its travelers the lowest prices. You will often find multiple deals on rental cars, hotels, flights, especially if you book them together for a package deal. Checking those sites often, will give you all the insight you need to make the cheapest and best decision for your holiday travel plans. We have been told price changes go into effect on Tuesdays after 3pm, but the airlines don’t tell all of their secrets.
Think about connections
When booking flights, check your results for layover times and keep in mind flight delays and weather issues. Especially during the winter months when the weather can be unpredictable, even in North Carolina. When thinking about flight connections, you must always keep in mind that these peak travel days can bring on peak travel delays. However, if you avoid tight connections, you may also avoid sprinting from one connection to the other.
Also pack extra games, snacks, and chargers in case you experience a delay. Connecting can also be fun; Atlanta, DFW, and others have trains that zip between terminals; Detroit has a tunnel with cool lights and music and Charlotte has lots of shopping in the terminal.
Pack light and smart
Limit the size and weight of your checked bags to avoid extra fees. Also, place your name and phone number inside should you and your luggage become separated. Carry on medications, keys, valuables and important documents. Many road warriors also carry on a change of clothes just in case. Pack your favorite snacks as the onboard selection can be limited and you may also pack empty duffel bag for your holiday haul.
Give yourself some extra time
With all this stress leading up to holiday travel season, the last bit of added stress you need is when you hit the road or arrive at the airport. Keep in mind that these are busiest times of the year for travel, so be prepared for heavy traffic on the highways or a few extra travelers when on your way to the airport and when you get there. The lines may be longer than normal and security can take even longer due to unfamiliar travelers. Getting to the airport early will only ensure that you’re on time to your gate and eventually your destination. We recommend planning to arrive at least 1 hour before departure time and longer on peak days or for international travel.
Ship all extra luggage and gifts
If gifts cards won’t do shipping extra luggage and gifts during the holiday season is a wonderful way to cut extra costs this season. Airlines often charge extra fees for checked or overweight baggage and limit carry-on luggage. If you’re able to ship anything ahead of time, it could definitely save you a few dollars. Not only that, but shipping any gifts for family and friends that you plan on giving away will keep the gifts looking untouched, freshly wrapped, and will avoid TSA inspections and baggage transfers that may cause your beautifully wrapped packages to arrive bruised.
When you try to save money during the holidays, most fail to consider the cost of holiday travel. We should never cut corners when it comes to travel plans, but it’s the perfect time to break out all of your money saving tricks.