5 Tips for Saving on Holiday Air Fare | Access 2 Knowledge

 

The holidays are hectic – and expensive.  Besides all the gift buying, cooking, and shipping, there’s also the traveling to contend with.  Airplane tickets during the holiday season can be a nightmare if you don’t take certain precautions to protect your pocketbook.  Here are seven tips for saving on holiday air fare:

 

Early booking.  When it comes to reserving your holiday flight, the sooner the better.  For maximum savings, thirty days in advance is ideal.  During the slow months of the year, waiting until the last minute to book a seat can result in a big-time savings, but during the holiday season, waiting until the last minute will only result in a shortage of seats and will result in a horrendous ticket price.

 

Travel date flexibility.  If you can be flexible about departure and arrival dates and times, you can save a lot of money on your tickets.  If possible, avoid peak travel days and opt for traveling during the slower days of the month or week.  Your airline will tell you which days are more expensive to fly than others.  Believe it or not, the least expensive flying days are the holidays themselves.  That is because most people would rather be with family by the fireplace on Christmas morning than in a busy airport.  If your holiday vacation allows for it, you might want to consider altering your personal holiday vacation to fit your flying options.

 

Online search tools.  Take advantage of the online airfare search engines that comparison shop for you.  Be sure to use flexible parameters whenever possible (travel dates, layovers, etc.) so as to be presented with as many money-saving options as possible.  Also, sign up on a site like AirfareWatchDog.com to get real-time alerts of when airfare prices decline for your desired flights.

 

Alternate airports.  If there is more than one airport in your general vicinity, then compare airline prices for each airport.  Some smaller airports may offer cheaper flights than those at more highly frequented airports.

 

Vacation packages.  If your holiday traveling involves staying at hotels and visiting tourist attractions then booking a holiday package that includes accommodations and airfare can be a great way to save significantly on flight costs.

 

Flying during the holiday season doesn’t have to break the bank.  There are easy and practical things you can do to trim your travel costs so you can use that extra money towards trimming the tree.

 

About the Author: Patty Kleen is a full-time writer and blogger with a passion for personal finance and saving money – especially around the holidays. She frequently uses email fax services and other online database solutions to streamline her work process so that she can work from any location.

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Marketing Online, travel, Travel on a Budget | November 17, 2011

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5 Tips for Saving on Holiday Air Fare

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