If you’re planning to travel during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, get busy booking your trip now to get the best deals, travel experts advise.
“Right now, prices are at the lowest they are going to reach,” said Hayley Berg, lead economist with Hopper, a mobile app, online booking provider and travel data company, regarding air fares. “They will start creeping back up in the next couple of weeks, so now is the best time to book for both holidays. If you can’t book Christmas yet, you haven’t figured out plans, haven’t got (paid time off) approved, the next best time to book is on Travel Deal Tuesday. “
Travel Deal Tuesday is Dec. 3, following Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
“That is the only other time when you can expect to see really great deals on Christmas trips in particular if you don’t book now,” said Berg.
Airfare for Thanksgiving is averaging about $273 per domestic roundtrip ticket, up 9% compared to last year, and Christmas airfare is averaging $379 per domestic roundtrip ticket, which is 8% higher than at this time last year, Berg said.
“We typically see prices rise by about $100 per ticket as we get closer to the holidays but depending on where you’re going, prices could spike by a lot more if flights are selling out” or if it’s a really popular location, Berg said.
To save money on airfare, try to book the return portion of a trip several days after the holiday; that’s when prices start to drop, said Corrine Wilkerson, owner and CEO of Homewood-based travel agency MacTravel Services.
Wilkerson typically recommends clients booking domestic travel do so one to three months ahead and for international travel three to six months ahead to get the best deals. And while it’s too late to do so this year, she said the summer is also a good time to find good deals on winter holiday travel. She noted some airlines will adjust prices if the price later drops.
Being flexible on your travel dates during the holidays is key, said Pam Carroll, owner, president and CEO of Palos Hills-based travel agency Gadabout Travel. Berg offered similar advice.
“It’s important to book at the right time, but what’s even more important is to travel on the least expensive days,” Berg said.
So, for Thanksgiving if you can depart on Wednesday the day before or Thanksgiving day and return Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday you will save about $170 per ticket, said Berg. That’s because the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the most expensive day.
“The day that you fly home is going to be the biggest driver of your overall trip price over what day you depart, so skip the Sunday return, skip the Saturday return, if possible,” Berg said.
An early Monday morning flight or coming back on Black Friday would be the better option. As for Christmas, don’t book a Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday trip, said Berg.
“Those are going to be the most expensive,” she said. “If you can, try to depart on Christmas day.”
If that’s not realistic, the next best option is to depart Dec. 23 and return Dec. 31, she said.
AAA spokeswoman Molly Hart advises travelers when planning to fly during the holidays or any time to book the first flight of the day if possible. That way you can avoid trickle-down delays related to weather issues or crew changes, she explained.
She and others also note if you’re delaying booking flights because you’re hoping to get a better deal, the longer you wait you could find there are fewer nonstop flights available.
AAA has not yet come out with its 2024 holiday travel forecast. But last year, it forecast that 2.82 million Illinoisans would travel 50 miles or more by auto, air or other means during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, the second highest on record since 2005. AAA projected 55.4 million travelers would travel nationally, the third highest forecast since 2000.
It forecast that 5.9 million Illinoisans would travel during Christmas and New Year’s 2023, the second highest since 2019, and that 115.2 million travelers would travel nationally, the second highest year-end travel forecast since 2000.
Many planning to travel during the holidays this year are worried about costs. Respondents to a survey by Bankrate revealed they are making these changes due to concerns about inflation:
• Traveling for fewer days — 32%
• Selecting less expensive accommodations and/or destinations — 30%
• Driving instead of flying — 28%
• Engaging in cheaper activities — 25%
• Traveling a shorter distance — 21%
But despite costs concerns, consumers are sticking to their plans to travel. That’s because they see Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday travel as essential times to spend with family and friends, said Berg.
A Hopper survey found consumers are managing the cost of holiday travel by cutting back on other expenses, taking advantage of discounts and deals, planning or traveling on off-peak days and using credit card points or airline miles to cover some expenses.
Travel experts note during the winter holidays good deals can often be found on international travel to Europe and the Caribbean and on cruises.
As for lodging, Hopper advises consumers to book Thanksgiving hotel stays by the first week of November and Christmas hotel stays by the first week of December to get better deals. Berg notes the holidays are a good time to plan staycations at a nice hotel.
“In Chicago for Christmas, prices are typically 17% lower if you check in Christmas Eve or Christmas day,” she said.
If you are planning to fly out of town for the holidays, to help reduce the stress of flying, Carroll suggests applying for TSA PreCheck and Global Entry to reduce the time it takes to get through airport security. She also recommends downloading your airline’s app.
“This way if your gate changes or your flights delayed, you will know right away,” said Carroll.
Also, make sure you allow plenty of time to get to the airport in case there are unexpected traffic issues.
Francine Knowles is a freelance columnist for the Daily Southtown.
