How to Get the Lowest Airfares During the Holidays

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) December 10, 2011 -- So what's the secret to getting the best airfares? Here are five things you can do to make sure to get the lowest fare:[b/]

1.Try to fly on less popular travel dates to avoid peak crowds and highest fares.

The worst days will be:
December 22, 23, or 26 and January 3

The best days are:
Early on Christmas Day
January 1 (I once had a row of six seats to myself for the entire flight home plus great service from the flight attendants)

Note: Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Saturday this year. This means that mid-week travel will be the most crowded.

2.The best time to buy airline tickets is after midnight during the week when fares are uploaded. There are only a handful of cheap seats. When those get sold out, the price goes up to the next tier and so on. Another good time to buy tickets is on Tuesday afternoon when sales are posted.

3.Flights with connections cost less than direct or non-stop flights. The big concern with connecting flights is delays and missed connections. This depends on which airports and airlines you use. For example, Chicago’s O-Hare airport is notoriously bad for delayed flights. American has one of the worst records with an on-time departure of only 54 percent. 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 is a plane is full or it is close to 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. www.faa.gov/airports

5.Comparison shop. Compare the fares offered by the airlines by visiting their websites (for a complete listing, www.listofairlines.org), check one or two popular travel sites (they are generally comparable), auction sites (www.priceline.com is one of my favorites), and reputable consolidators.

Tips: 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. 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[i/]

This information comes from The Encyclopedia of Cheap Travel: Save Up to 90% on Lodging, Flights, Tours, Cruises, and More! (Second Edition, 2011. ISBN 978-0615-514727; $14.95 pb, $6.95 eBook), written by award winning writer and travel expert Terrance Zepke. For more information, visit the author's website, www.terrancezepke.com[b/]

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