Holiday Travel Secrets: How to Save Big by Booking at the Right Time

Holiday Travel Secrets: How to Save Big by Booking at the Right Time

Book Early

Booking your travel plans early is one of the best ways to save money on flights, hotels, rental cars, and other transportation for the holidays. Prices tend to increase exponentially the closer you get to peak travel dates. Last minute bookings often mean paying a premium. 

By booking your airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, train tickets, bus tickets, etc. as far in advance as possible, you can take advantage of the lowest rates. Availability also becomes limited as the holidays approach, so booking early ensures you can secure a spot before sellouts. 

Aim to book at least 1-2 months in advance of your travel dates if possible. Sign up for fare alerts and price tracking to get notifications on sales and deals for your dates. Be flexible with your travel plans if you can, choosing cheaper days/times to depart and return. With early booking, you can get ideal holiday travel arrangements without breaking the bank.

Avoid Peak Travel Dates

Planning your holiday travel to avoid peak dates can lead to big savings. Holiday weekends like Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day are some of the most expensive times to travel all year. Airfare, hotels, and rental cars are often dramatically higher during these peak periods. 

The days right before or after the holiday are also very expensive travel days. For example, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving or the Sunday after are extremely busy. Try to avoid traveling on these peak dates. Instead, look a day or two before or after. Flying on Thanksgiving day itself is often much cheaper than the day before, even though it's only a 24 hour difference. 

Similarly, the days right before or after Christmas are packed. Arrive a few days early or leave a few days late to get lower fares. Travel mid-week as weekends near the holidays are busy. Tracking prices and being flexible with your dates can lead to big savings on holiday travel.

Valentine's Day/President's Day Travel

Valentine's Day is one of the most popular travel holidays, with many people looking to spend time with loved ones over the long President's Day weekend. To save money, avoid traveling on Valentine's Day itself or President's Day Monday when demand is highest. 

Instead, try to fly out a few days before Valentine's Day, such as the Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday prior. Then plan your return trip for the following Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday after the Monday holiday. Flying midweek generally has lower fares than weekends. You'll miss the peak crowds and prices, but still be able to enjoy your Valentine's Day weekend getaway.

Spring Break Travel

Spring break takes place for about three weeks in March depending on which schools people are attending. If you plan to travel for spring break you need to plan it very carefully to maximize your time and to get good prices. 

Many colleges allow people to complete their final exams early. Try to do this and travel on a Wednesday or Thursday. Avoid peak days such as Friday and Saturday. You also want to come back on week days as they will be lower volume dates for travel.

Mother's Day/Father's Day Travel

Many people fly to see their parents for Mother's Day and for Father's Day. These important holidays take place on a Sunday in May and then on a Sunday in June. It's best to travel on the actual holiday to take advantage of lower fares compared to flying out on the Friday or Saturday before. This allows you to arrive on their special day and hang out for several days after. 

For your return trip, aim to fly back midweek the following week instead of on the crowded weekend days. The days after the holiday tend to have lower travel volume compared to Fridays and Saturdays. Flying back midweek can result in substantial savings over peak weekend fares around these popular holidays.

Thanksgiving Travel

Thanksgiving is one of the most popular travel holidays in the United States. Millions of Americans hit the roads and skies to visit family and friends for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Because demand for travel spikes during this time, costs can be very high if you book at the last minute or travel on peak dates. The best way to save money on Thanksgiving travel is to be flexible with your dates. 

The peak of Thanksgiving travel takes place the day before the holiday, which is typically the busiest travel day of the entire year. Airfares and hotel rates are often twice as expensive on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving compared to other days that week. However, if you are willing to travel on Thanksgiving Day itself, you can avoid the huge crowds and save up to 50% on airfare compared to the day before. The airports and highways are much less congested on the holiday, making it a great time to travel if you don't mind missing out on some of the Thanksgiving festivities.

Another key tip is to avoid returning home on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This tends to be another very busy travel day. Try booking your return flight for the following Monday or Tuesday instead. Most people have to work the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, so ask your employer if you can exchange working that day for having the Monday after off instead. Taking a few extra vacation days to extend your trip can lead to big savings on post-Thanksgiving travel.  

By booking your Thanksgiving trip early, traveling on the holiday itself, and returning on a less busy weekday, you can maximize your time with loved ones while minimizing the costs. With some flexibility and advance planning, you can enjoy stress-free Thanksgiving travel without breaking the bank.

Christmas Travel

Christmas is another peak holiday travel occasion, and you will find the fares get much higher the closer it gets to the 25th of December. If you want to save money, try to travel before December 19th in order to take advantage of the best possible fares. The airlines know that demand spikes in the days right before Christmas, so they raise prices accordingly. 

If you won't be able to stay through New Year's, choose a day in the middle of the week after Christmas to return home. The days right after Christmas are often slower travel days compared to the weekends, so you're likely to get better prices on flights if you can fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Returning on one of these off-peak days rather than on the weekend can result in significant savings.

The bottom line is to avoid travel in the few days prior to Christmas Day, and aim to return midweek in the days after if you want to maximize your savings. The airlines anticipate heavy demand around the holidays, so you can save considerably by being a bit flexible with your dates.

New Year's Travel

Avoid travel on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day as they are two of the most popular travel dates of the year. Fares are often double what they normally would be so you will save yourself plenty of money and delays if you work around them when you travel for the holidays. 

The days before and after New Year's Eve and Day are also more expensive than usual. The peak dates are generally December 30th through January 2nd. If your schedule allows, plan to travel a few days before or after this window. 

For example, depart on December 27th or 28th and return on January 3rd or 4th. You'll find airfares, hotel rates, and other travel costs are significantly lower during this time. Waiting just a few days can result in hundreds of dollars in savings.

If you must travel over New Year's, book as early as possible. Prices go up exponentially the closer it gets to New Year's Eve. Also be flexible with your flight times - red eye flights and early morning flights tend to be cheaper than peak daytime hours. 

Consider celebrating New Year's at your destination if you'll be staying for multiple days. Many hotels and resorts offer special New Year's Eve parties and events. This allows you to avoid traveling on the holiday itself.

With some planning and date flexibility, you can avoid the New Year's travel rush. Focus your efforts on the days before and after the peak to maximize savings.

Compare Prices

When booking travel for the holidays, it pays to compare prices across multiple sites and airlines to find the best deals. Here are some tips for getting the lowest fares:

• Use flight search engines like Kayak, Skyscanner, or Google Flights to compare fares across different airlines and websites. These sites search hundreds of options instantly to show you the cheapest prices.
• Check airline sites directly in addition to online travel agencies like Expedia or Orbitz. Sometimes airlines offer sales that aren't available on third-party sites. Sign up for fare alerts from your preferred airlines.
• Be flexible with dates if possible. Shifting your travel by a day or two can reveal much lower fares. Use the flexible date search on Kayak and Google Flights.
• Consider alternate airports if driving is an option. Searching "everywhere" on Kayak allows you to find the cheapest airport within driving distance.
• Use private/incognito browsing when searching. Sites track cookies and may show higher fares if you've already searched.
• Clear your browser cookies and try again if prices seem high. Sites can retain your search history and location which impacts fares shown.
• Book early but set a fare alert in case prices drop. You can get notified if the fare drops and rebook at the lower rate. 
• Be persistent and patient. Fares fluctuate often, so check back regularly and pounce when you see a good deal.

With some diligence and flexibility, you can find excellent deals on holiday travel by comparing prices across multiple sites and airlines. The savings are worth the extra effort.

Use Rewards Programs

Taking advantage of rewards programs like frequent flyer miles, hotel points, and credit card points can help you save substantially on holiday travel. Here are some tips:

• Sign up for airline frequent flyer programs, hotel loyalty programs, and travel credit cards well in advance of your trip. It takes time to earn enough rewards for free flights and hotel nights.
• Use miles and points for free flights if you have enough accrued. Flights around the holidays often cost the most, so it's smart to use rewards instead of cash if possible. Check award availability early. 
• Use hotel points to book free nights or suites. Upgrading your room for free via points is a great way to enhance your holiday trip.
• Use airline status perks like free seat upgrades and early boarding to make holiday travel more comfortable and convenient. 
• Consider using points or miles to offset high holiday airfare costs. If you don't have enough for a free ticket, you may be able to use rewards to lower the cash price.
• Pay for holiday travel expenses with a travel rewards credit card to earn even more points you can use for future trips.

Planning ahead and leveraging rewards from frequent flyer programs, hotels, and credit cards can help reduce the high cost of holiday travel through free flights, room upgrades, and more.