The best travel days for the holidays

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – If you’re thinking of booking flights for the holidays, do it sooner rather than later, according to a new guide from travel website The Vacationer.

A limited number of flights are available during the holidays, so it’s more important to book in advance during these times. The Vacationer suggests booking Thanksgiving flights before Halloween and Christmas flights before Thanksgiving.

When it comes to booking, online travel sites can have some of the best prices, but add an extra headache in the event of a canceled or delayed flight. To avoid the additional time spent on problem solving by intermediaries, The Vacationer suggests booking directly with an airline.

As Nexstar’s KRON previously reported in the Summer Flightmare Guide, flights earlier in the day are best. The holidaymaker suggests booking early morning flights as they are less likely to be canceled and delayed than later flights. The earliest flight of the day also gives you breathing space if one of your flights is canceled or delayed.

Another tip for saving money when booking vacations is to use travel tools like Google Flights to find some of the cheapest fares. If your home airport is smaller or more expensive, The Vacationer recommends considering flying from another nearby airport that may be cheaper.

Best travel days in this holiday season

The busiest travel days for Thanksgiving are Wednesday, November 23rd and Sunday, November 27th. The vacationer says if you’re looking for cheaper flights or less hassle when traveling, consider flying on one of the following dates:

• Sunday 20 Nov
• Monday 21 Nov
• Tuesday 22 Nov
• Thursday 24 Nov (Thanksgiving Day flights are cheaper)

Good timing for the return trip is also key to easy travel during Thanksgiving week. Consider returning home on one of these less traveled days:

• Friday 25th November (Black Friday flights are often cheaper)
• Monday 28 Nov
• Tuesday 29th Nov

Traveling at Christmas can be an even more challenging task.

The busiest travel days at Christmas are as follows:

• Thursday 22 December
• Friday 23 December
• Monday, 26.12
• Tuesday, December 27th

When it comes to Christmas travel, you can save some money by leaving a few days early. Here are the best days to fly during the Christmas holidays:

• Sunday 18 December
• Monday 19 December
• Tuesday, December 20th
• Saturday, December 24th (Christmas Eve flights often cheaper)
• Sunday 25 December (Flights on Christmas Day are also cheaper)

When returning from your Christmas trip, it is best to avoid trips on December 26th and 27th. Instead, try to wait until Wednesday December 28th or Thursday December 29th to go home.