3 On Your Side: Lowest Thanksgiving Airfares Already Gone
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Have you made your Thanksgiving travel plans yet? There are lots of apps and websites to help you identify the best fares, but the booking process can still be a headache and expensive. 3 On Your Side's Jim Donovan has some advice for those still searching for a reasonable Thanksgiving fare.
If you're looking for the lowest airfares for Thanksgiving, you've probably missed the window. According to an analysis of last year's bookings by travel website Kayak, the cheapest airfares for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve were found between September and mid-October. But there may still time to book a flight at a good price.
Travelocity says they expect fares to climb even higher - during the week of November tenth. Cheapair.com, which has been tracking holiday airfares, advises that travelers be realistic about what they're going to find.
Peak days like the day before Thanksgiving will often have the highest fares, but flying on the holiday - like Thanksgiving morning - can help you find some of the lowest prices.
Kayak found the best days for departure on domestic flights are the Monday or Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. For the return, Thanksgiving day, Friday, or the following Tuesday are best, avoiding the weekend rush.
If you find a reasonable holiday fare, buy it. At this point that fare probably won't fall, and waiting to book could cost you big bucks, or leave you grounded without a seat at the Thanksgiving dinner table.
