Whether you’re visiting relatives a few states away for Thanksgiving or planning to go to the Caribbean for Christmas, knowing the best time to book can ensure the best deals for you are your family.
Now, you can take travel off the list of your inevitable holiday stressors.
When to book
According to CNBC, the best way to attack holiday travel is to plan for the trip over these next few weeks.
If you miss that time frame, all hope is not lost. “Travel Tuesday” — the Tuesday after Thanksgiving — is essentially the Cyber Monday of travel.
“Pretty much the whole travel industry goes on sale,” Hayley Berg, lead economist at travel site Hopper, told CNBC.
This year’s Travel Tuesday is Dec. 3, so make sure to mark your calendars for the date if your plans will not be solidified by October.
How to have a smooth experience
Even after booking your trip, the holiday travel process can feel daunting with long lines, delayed flights and inclement weather leading to disruptions. There are ways, however, those familiar holiday trip disrupters can be mitigated.
Make sure to allow time for possible delays and disruptions that can come with holiday travel. Try to get to the airport early and, if it is critical you arrive at your destination on a particular day, maybe leave for your trip a day early.
“If it’s really important that you’re there for actual Christmas dinner, fly in a few days early,” Sally French, a travel expert at NerdWallet, told CNBC.
Taking the first flight of the day can also help to avoid travel delays. According to Berg, flights are twice as likely to be delayed or canceled after 8 a.m.
Last, try to avoid traveling on peak days. Leaving for home on the Sunday after Thanksgiving or starting your trip on Christmas Eve may be tempting, but those days are often riddled with disruptions. Those days have set records for travelers going through TSA, so if possible, try not to be at the airport on a peak day.
Holiday travel is a wonderful time to get closer with family and bond with those around you, but just thinking about it often causes stress for those planning the trips. With these tips, however, it does not have to be that way, and you can plan your upcoming holiday travel with confidence.
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