Here are some tricks for scoring the best savings during the holiday rush.
Don't Procrastinate
"It's going to be a record-breaking season of holiday travel," says Tom Spagnola, senior vice president, supplier relations at CheapOair. To snap up the lowest rates, he advises locking in your plans as soon as you can. And if you've signed up for fare alerts for your desired route and you see a price drop, grab it, says Gabe Saglie, senior editor at Travelzoo. "They're usually very short-lived and one- or two-day sales," he explains, adding that availability will be much more limited for Thanksgiving Day travel come October.
Booking your flights early will yield high savings for winter trips, too, explains George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com. "You'll get the most value for your buck," he adds, noting that airfare prices will continue to climb after Dec. 14 for holiday travel.
Use Competition to Your Advantage
A simple, but strategic way to secure airfare deals is flying to or from destinations where there's high competition among airlines."There are some routes that have many airlines vying for your business," Hobica explains, pointing to popular routes from primary airline hubs in major cities like Dallas and New York City. Spagnola agrees, noting that you'll find very competitive pricing and a greater opportunity for snagging a deal on routes where multiple airlines are trying to attract the same customer.
Consider Alternative Airports
"I've found some substantial savings and convenience by looking at alternative airports," Saglie says. In terms of how far away you should look, Spagnola recommends checking out hubs "within a 25- to 50-mile radius" and looking at flights on off-peak days. If you have some leeway in your schedule, look for flights departing on Mondays and Tuesdays, he suggests.
Apart from searching for flights with alternative hubs, you should also "consider the super discount airlines, like Spirit and Frontier," Hobica advises. But you have to do your homework, he explains, noting that while you can score reduced fares with low-cost carriers, there are many ancillary fees to watch out for, such as checked baggage fees.
Choose When You Book Wisely
When it comes to shopping around for the best flight prices, experts recommend checking rates often and not pigeonholing off-peak days or midweek travel as the absolute best times for booking. "I don't think there's a magic time to book," ............... >> http://snip.ly/f2d9
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