How to Travel on a Budget for the Thanksgiving Holiday
Polka Dot Images
Travelers looking to get away this fall and winter can find affordable deals to both domestic and international destinations, even during peak holiday season. The cost of domestic travel has remained flat year over year, with customers paying an average of $287 on a roundtrip ticket for travel between Sept. 23 and Nov. 30, according to data from discount travel site CheapOair. International flights have also remained affordable, with a roundtrip ticket averaging just $729 this year.
When it comes to determining how to travel on a budget, you’ve got options. Whether you’re a thrifty jet setter or looking to becoming one, here are five tips that any traveler can use to find the best deals on Thanksgiving travel.
1. Book on a Monday or Tuesday.
Airlines process demand for flights over the weekend, so searching on a Monday or Tuesday will typically return the lowest fares. Using sites like CheapOair, you can scan more than 450 leading airlines in seconds to find the lowest available price for your selected route, and even mix and match airlines to find the best deal.
2. Call Customer Support.
If you have trouble finding a fare that works for your budget online, you’ll notice something convenient on every page throughout the CheapOair website: a phone number. Our customer care team is available 24 hours a day to assist with your travel booking needs and to offer any available discounted fares direct from the airlines that we aren’t able to publish online.
3. Be flexible with your dates.
Airport traffic will start to pick up the week before Thanksgiving, on Friday, Nov. 22, and peak on Monday, Nov. 25. Return travel will pick up again on Saturday, Nov. 30 after the Thanksgiving holiday. If the timing for your break is tight, keep in mind that you may find the best flight deal on Thanksgiving Day, which is Thursday, Nov. 28.
4. Fly into a nearby airport.
Check pricing for nearby airports, or use CheapOair, which will automatically show you if there’s a better deal at a different location. Travelers heading to south Florida, for example, can chose from Miami (MIA), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) or West Palm Beach (PBI) International Airport. If an extra car ride makes sense for your travel plans, it could help you save more on your flight.
5. Visit a new destination. If you’re taking a trip somewhere new this year, consider alternatives to popular destinations like Las Vegas, Orlando and New York. Exciting destinations, like Denver, Chicago and Fort Lauderdale came in below the average cost of a rountrip airline ticket at $244, $262 and $247, respectively, for roundtrip airfare, according to CheapOair data.
To be the first to know, visit http://newsletter.cheapoair.com/ and sign up to have CheapOair’s travel deals, tips and more sent directly to your inbox.
CheapOair scans over 450 airlines in seconds to return guaranteed low prices on flights, hotels, car rentals and vacation packages, making planning and booking trips easy and hassle-free. With 24-hour support by phone and live chat, award-winning apps for iPhone and Android, and travel tips on Facebook and Twitter, CheapOair makes affordable travel possible anytime, anywhere.
More from Manilla.com:
