The hustle and bustle of holiday travel is fast approaching and as the TSA reported another seasonal spike projection volume at airports – nearly 3 million people on Sunday – experts share new ideas and tips for booking vacation trips.
Clint Henderson, editor-in-chief of The Points Guy, outlined some key findings from the team's new holiday travel survey with “Good Morning America” on Tuesday to help Americans considering airline deals or s 'ask about the best booking windows, what steps to take to think about this peak season.
Best time to book holiday travel for Thanksgiving and Christmas
In this Dec. 22, 2021, file photo, a Delta Air Lines plane departs from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta.
Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters, FILE
While a majority of Americans plan to travel for the holidays and more than half of those surveyed expect to fly, according to The Points Guy's study, Henderson said focusing on research of a flight booking during the Goldilocks period will prove crucial.
“You want to book before prices are high, well off schedule, and then right before they start to spike before the holidays,” Henderson said. “Right now, prices are going to start going up soon. You want to book your Thanksgiving trips now. You want to book your Christmas trips before Halloween. Every day after that, you can see prices go up every day. We are in the Goldilocks period, it's time to book.”
Where to find discounts on plane tickets
While Henderson doesn't suggest booking a trip for anyone, he did recommend purchasing discounted airline gift cards from big-box retailers.
“You can get discounts at places like Costco on Alaska Airlines in the Southwest. They often offer 10 percent off flights. It's a great way to gift a trip,” he said. he declared, adding that the recipient can thus influence the destination.
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Current offers on vacation destinations
Some of the best deals Henderson and the team of travel experts have seen right now are in Europe, which he says are “regularly on sale for under $500.”
“I just saw United (Airlines) flights last night to Paris, France (from Chicago) for $511,” he said. “There are some great deals going on right now.”
American Airlines is also currently offering fares as low as $364 to Madrid and Barcelona from New York and Miami respectively.
Expert busts travel booking myths
“There's a rumor that if you book on Tuesday, if you stay up and book at midnight, you'll get a better deal,” Henderson began. “That's absolutely not the case. It doesn't matter when you book, but it matters when you're traveling. If you're traveling on a Tuesday or Saturday, sometimes you can get a better deal.”
Another myth that Henderson has thankfully busted is searching for flights in incognito mode.
“Airlines don't track your search history on your computer, so it doesn't matter (if you're in private browsing mode) when you book,” he said.
Finally, he explained that it's easier than ever to get price adjustments on airline tickets after you've booked.
“The good news is that after the pandemic, airlines have become much more liberal in giving you travel credits or refunds,” Henderson said. “If you see a price drop, go back to the airline. They will either give you a travel credit or cancel the ticket and rebook.”
