Best Time to Buy Airline Tickets for Thanksgiving & Christmas

So when is best time to buy airline tickets for Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Right now!

As the demand goes up, so do airfares.

From Thanksgiving through New Years, it is generally hard to find low fares. According to Skyscanner, the best time to buy airline tickets for Christmas 2019 is 10/8 – 11/19. If you haven’t already bought your Thanksgiving ticket, you need to do so before 11/12 if you want any discount.

FYI: Fares for flights in and out of New York City and Miami increase by 22-34% Christmas week! Fares go up by 10-40% to most major airports.

But here are ten tricks to saving BIG money:

Fly on less popular travel dates to avoid peak crowds and highest fares. The lightest travel days (this means the best fares) will be on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Thanksgiving Day. Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after Thanksgiving will be the worst days for savings. Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year, so the most popular (this means the most expensive!) days to fly this year will be the Saturday before Christmas or Christmas Eve Day (and the most popular return flight will be on the Sunday after the holiday). If you can fly Christmas Eve anytime in the evening, Christmas Day anytime, and December 26, you will score the best deals and have a less crowded flight.

2. Fly basic economy. If you really want or need to save money, flying basic economy is the way to do it. This means you must pack light and you cannot pick your seat or board early.

3. Flights with connections cost less than direct or non-stop flights. Be careful about tight connections. Not allowing enough time between connecting flights can easily caused a missed connection these days. Rebooking on the next flight may not be an option if a plane
is full or it is the last flight of the day. www.flightstats.com

4. Check alternate airports to compare fares. Flying out of a different airport usually results in a different fare that may be much less than your hometown or main airport. For example, if flying into or out of NY, you should check LaGuardia, Newark, and JFK. www.faa.gov/airports

5. Comparison shop. Compare the fares offered by the airlines by visiting their websites (for a complete listing, http://www.listofairlines.org/) and then cross check that against an auction site (http://www.priceline.com/) and an aggregator (http://www.mobissimo.com/) , top search engines (Google Flights), (online travel agencies (www.expedia.com), and reputable consolidators (https://www.flightgorilla.com). Remember that some low-cost airlines do not advertise on other sites, so be sure to check directly with Southwest Air, Allegiant, Frontier, and Spirit.

6. Set a Price Alert to learn when fares drop so you can grab the best deal.

7. Use frequent flier and rewards points for free or cheap tickets. You must be enrolled in loyalty program to receive miles and/or points. Also, being enrolled in an airline loyalty program entitles you to periodic bonus miles when you take advantage of a discounted miles offer.

8. Sign up for an airline credit card to receive many peaks, including free baggage, priority boarding, and 25,000+ free miles (which is enough for a domestic airline ticket).

Click here to learn about the best rewards credit cards for 2019!

9. If you are able to plan ahead, use your airline credit card to pay all your bills/expenses and you will earn enough miles for a free ticket in no time. However, be sure to pay off your balance at the end of each month so that you don’t end up with high credit card debt.

10. Check into one-way tickets. You may find the best deal by booking one-way on one airline and one way return on another airline.

NOTE: All of these suggestions require some legwork on your part. However, that is always the case with saving money. You don’t just run out and buy the first car you see (or at least you shouldn’t!) and the same is true with travel. You can book the first fare you see but you most likely spend much more money than you need to. Also, be sure you understand the cancellation policy and fees before booking any ticket and make sure all of the information is correct, such as your name spelling (must match your ID) and flight time (a.m. or p.m.). You don’t want to arrive at the airport for your 3 p.m. flight and find out you booked a 3 a.m. flight that is long gone!

In addition to learning the best time to buy airline tickets for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’d like to share some key Travel Tips:

Check with the airline on its carry-on bag dimensions to make sure you won’t have a problem with your carry-on bag being too large. You should also look up the latest TSA restricted carry-on items as that list is periodically updated.

Do not wrap any gifts you are taking in your carry-on bag.

Make sure you’re allowed to take the items on board. For example, gift baskets with food, snowglobes, and wine or liquor cannot be carried on the plane. You can bring antlers and makeup airbrush machines on board, but axes and hatchets must go in your checked baggage!

Click here for the latest TSA carry-on restrictions!

Be sure to check an airline’s policies on first and second bag charges and early boarding options. Due to the holidays, you may need a second bag and may find early boarding worth the price. www.tsa.gov

Click here to learn more about TSA’s Pre-check program which means you skip the long lines!

Make sure you allow enough time to clear security check points. Expect more travelers during this time of year, which means more delays. MyTSA App reveals security line wait times and much more.

Click here to learn how to fly free and avoid delayed flights!