The Easiest Way to Save Money on Holiday Travel This Year
In the face of skyrocketing inflation, many of us are still planning to travel during the holidays this year. Airlines are already reporting high demand and price increases, NPR reports , so now is the time to book your tickets. But before you actually decide on your travel dates, it can be helpful to talk to your family about a longer than usual visit home. Here’s how being flexible with your travel dates can be the easiest way to save money on travel this holiday season.
Be flexible with travel dates
You can take advantage of better deals if you avoid flying during peak hours. This rule already applies to weekdays at any time of the year, for example if you prefer to fly home on Monday rather than Sunday.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the busiest travel days before Thanksgiving are, as expected, the Tuesday and Wednesday before the holiday. The next peak hours to avoid are the Thursday and Friday before Thanksgiving week, and then the Sunday after Thanksgiving. If possible, plan ahead to book your ride on these busy (read: expensive) days.
Another risky life hack to save money is flying on the day of the holiday. Figures from NerdWallet confirm this: a direct one-way flight from New York to Paris during the Christmas week costs $868 on Dec. 22, or $910 on Dec. 23 this year. Those flights drop to $482 or $563 if you venture on December 24th or 25th.
Speaking of Christmas, Forbes reports that flights on the Thursday and Friday right before the holiday can result in decent savings – an average of 15%, depending on the destination.
If possible, plan ahead to either arrive early or stay with your family this holiday season. The savings can be worth a little extra time at home.