Thanksgiving: 5 tips for booking your holiday flight

Credit: ckroberts61

By Jeanenne Tornatore

Though we’ve only just broken out the Halloween costumes, bookings sites are alreadyabuzz with travelers researching flights for the Thanksgiving holiday.  And if you’re looking to fly home for the holidays, you should join the crowd now, too.  But before you book, check out these tips for flying over the busiest holiday weekend of the year.

1.    Don’t delay. Travelers who wait to book their holiday travel will find choices shrinking and prices growing as Thanksgiving weekend creeps closer.  With “reduced capacity” — less planes / less seats — and major airlines already adding on surcharges for the peak holiday travel days, there’s no reason to wait to book your ticket.

2.    Be flexible. This may be easier said than done when your main objective is to get home in time for the big turkey dinner, but giving yourself a little wiggle room in your travel schedule can make all the difference both on the price of your ticket and your experience at the airport.  According to airfare bookings on Orbitz.com, Wednesday, November 24 and Sunday, November 28th will be the busiest travel days of the holiday weekend.  Consider departing on a morning flight on Thursday and returning on Monday.

3.    The early bird gets…the on-time flight? Well, most of the time.  Early morning flights typically have a better chance of on-time operations.  And over the holidays, when delays are inevitable, booking a pre-dawn flight may save you hours spent in the airport lounge and more time at home with your family. It’s well worth a 4 a.m. wake-up call!

4.    Expand your search. Don’t limit your search for flights to only your closest local airport.  Expand your search options to include airports within a reasonable radius and you’ll find yourself with more flight and price options.  Be sure tosearch multiple airports in both your departure and destination cities.

5.    Consider connections. If you’re on a tight budget, look for connecting flights rather than those that go non-stop.  Just be sure to leave yourself plenty of time between connections — at least an hour — as you’ll likely find it difficult to get on another flight if yours leaves without you.

Insider tip: Book your flight by November 9, 2010, and you can take advantage of this AirTran Fare Sale for travel across the U.S., with round-trip fares starting at $88.

Jeanenne Tornatore is a senior travel editor at Orbitz Worldwide. A long-time traveler and avid deal seeker, she regularly shares her industry knowledge, practical advice and savvy tips with national print and broadcast media around the country.

Tagged: Family time