Forget What You Know About Holiday Travel: Don't Book Early, Book Late

blog@mobissimo.com (Mobissimo) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:01:12 -0800

According to Samantha Bomkcamp, who in addition to having an awesome last name did some fare analysis that counter-intuitively found if you book your holiday travel later this year, rather than earlier, you may actually save money.

The cheapest fares for Thanksgiving and Christmas aren't going to the travelers who booked months in advance. Experts say they'll go to those who can take advantage of some last-minute deals. In previous years, the rule was nearly always the same: Travelers who booked earliest got the cheapest fares. Those who waited generally faced higher prices.
This year, though, things are different.
Yes, fares are up and flights are fuller, but those who've waited until the last minute to book Thanksgiving or Christmas travel can still find a deal if they know where and how to look.
In a year when airlines seem to have the upper hand, you may wonder why airfares on U.S. routes aren't creeping higher as the holidays inch closer. The reason is airlines may have jacked some prices up too high, too fast. When that happens, airlines run sales closer to flight dates to fill the remaining seats on the plane. Airlines also ran many last-minute sales during the recession when Americans dramatically pulled back on flying.

Good advice its appears, but also remember to read our Tips For Saving On Thanksgiving for other tips that may help you save money.

Tips For Saving On Thanksgiving Airfare

blog@mobissimo.com (Mobissimo) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:29:15 -0700

One of the great urban myths is that the day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year, but it isn't. Actually, the busiest travel days of the year usually fall in summer, when the kiddies get off for holidays and families takes their annual vacations (Via KTVQ.com).

"In reality, the day before Thanksgiving is not the busiest day of the year," said Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association.

In fact, according to official government data, when it comes to the number of airline flights, Wednesday doesn't even rank among the top 25 busiest days.

Back in 2006, it came in 36th. In 2007, it was 55th. And in 2008, as the economy took a turn for the worst, there were 220 days with more flights than the day before Thanksgiving.

That of course doesn't stop airlines from jacking up prices for tickets during the holidays. It's their little gift to you, for the holidays. But there are ways you can save money by traveling on Thanksgiving day, for example. Some other tips include:

Buy Today: Prices are just going to go up, so buy now to avoid paying increased prices.
Fare Alerts: If you aren't convinced, use our Fare Alert tool powered by Facebook. You can access it directly from Facebook or when you conduct a search, click the Facebook icon in the search results.
Don't Fly the Sunday After Thanksgiving: Not the busiest day of the year, but it is busy and prices are high.
Use Alternate Airports: Be sure to check smaller airports used by low cost carriers for deals.
Don't Caught By Surcharges: Airlines have been raking in record profits by charging you for everything, nickel and diming passengers for everything but the water and peanuts.

Mobissimo Blog - Thanksgiving Airfare

Forget What You Know About Holiday Travel: Don't Book Early, Book Late

Tips For Saving On Thanksgiving Airfare