I’ll Be Home For Christmas (If I Can Afford Airfare)!

Flying home for the holidays this year? Better read this first …

This holiday season is going to be filled with both good and bad news for budget-minded travelers. The bad news is that fares are much higher than usual (whatever that means, right?) flight capacity is way down and any last-minute deals are becoming scarcer to get (at least, that’s the way I’m seeing things). The good, no great, news is that if you’re the frugal type that likes to do your homework and plan ahead, you’re more than likely going to save (or have already saved, for you early-birders) as much money as physically possible in these trying times — where the airlines are just not getting “it” in our struggling economy (note: their latest “add-on” charges haven’t dropped a cent).

You’re a family man, and you’re not going to cancel your holiday plans of flying home to see everyone, I get that! So, why let the economy get you down? Why even contemplate the thought of not being able to visit your family members and old friends? That, my pal, is the single-biggest reason for travel this time of year, so do yourself a huge favor and go for it, while at the same time not breaking your bank! The following will help you out with that issue:

Plan your trip well ahead of time. If not you can look forward to having to pay through the nose for the same flight that was about half price just a short while ago! Remember this: airlines start releasing their cheap seats four months before the departure date (like clockwork) and if you’re stuck having to look for an international ticket to Detroit, while you’re in London, it can even be longer than that (five to six months is a pretty safe bet). If you’re getting tickets for this Christmas you might already be too late, so hurry!

Research many websites, then buy your tickets. Go to Travelocity, Kayak, Cheaptickets, etc. — a lot of times you’ll find the best deal on one of these sites, but not always. An annex to this: stay away from Orbitz — they were created to steer customers toward emptier planes, and most of their “deals” are only for connecting flights (even when a direct flight is available). Use these sites to get a ballpark figure on costs, and then go to the airline’s official homepage (with this knowledge, go with the best flight for your money).

Avoid peak times for certain areas. When you travel is just as important as where the plane will be taking you! For instance: traveling on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays will get you the cheapest fares, because these are the least popular days for travelers. If you want to be thought of as a strategic shopper, then you better know not only when to fly, but when it seems most promising to book your flight (book on these same days as well — now you know).

Isn’t technology great? Thrifty travelers once had to obsessively check fares in order to monitor price changes, but most travel sites can now send you e-mail updates when a flight meets your desired price (sweet huh?). Most of these sites will also allow future passengers to track fares even before they book, as well as sign up for any e-mail updates that will tell them if their ticket price has dropped even after they’ve paid for everything (Thank you, technology — you rock!).

Finding cheaper ways to travel has become harder and harder in this stale economy, especially when it comes to saving on flying. But by being patient and organized, travelers can still get lucky if they know where to look! Always remember this about the airlines: wherever there’s an empty seat, there’s a deal to be made! And believe me when I tell you, “There will always be empty seats that are not advertised”! Go find them now, and catch up with the people you love this season!