Even though you can find some great deals on last-minute flights about a week before Thanksgiving, it may be challenging to find a flight that fits your schedule.
Thanksgiving week continues to be one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, so it’s in your best interest to plan ahead and make those trip reservations before mid-October.
Airline carriers may be offering discounts on hotel and flight packages and off-season pricing to some destinations. Use these tips to save on Thanksgiving travel expenses this year:
Use an online tool to compare flight prices.
Don’t have time to go through several third-party websites just to find the lowest flight?
Use an online tool like FareCompare.com to check up on the best days to fly over Thanksgiving week from all the major airlines.
Since Thanksgiving is still several weeks away, you can sign up for a reminder to get access to Thanksgiving flight deals as soon as they’re published.
Use travel daily deal sites to secure accommodations.
If you don’t plan on staying with family and friends over Thanksgiving, keep an eye out for some deep discounts on hotels and other accommodations through sites like LivingSocial Escapes and Groupon Getaways.
Both of these sites post great package deals to dozens of destinations around the country, and some venues could be a great match for your Thanksgiving travel plans.
Book your flight and hotel together.
If you can’t find a hotel on one of the deal sites, you may still be able to secure low rates on your hotel of choice by booking your flight and hotel together.
Use third-party sites like Travelocity.com, Expedia.com or LastMinuteTravel.com to find some of the lowest prices and take advantage of no booking fees. Being flexible with your dates can help you find the lowest possible price over Thanksgiving week.
Fly at inconvenient times.
One of the best ways to reduce the cost of a flight over Thanksgiving week is to fly at the most inconvenient times – the times when most travelers are probably not going to fly.
This can mean flying on Thanksgiving Day, flying back on Saturday or Sunday, and catching a redeye flight. Consider booking a very early morning flight and just nap on the plane so you can arrive refreshed. Fly back very late at night to offset some of the costs of an otherwise pricey flight.
Cash out frequent flier miles.
How many frequent flier miles have you collected over the course of the year? Consider redeeming these miles to get a discount or a free flight this Thanksgiving holiday.
Remember that some frequent flier miles do lose their value if you don’t use them within a certain time frame.
The holiday season could be the perfect time to cash them out and enjoy a discount on travel this season.
