Mention holiday travel to those who have to drive or fly long distances, and you're sure to get a reaction. It's common knowledge that two of the heaviest travel times of the year are Thanksgiving and Christmas, and with that comes congestion, long lines at security, and packed planes. Don't panic, though – it's not all bad news! The "Fareologists" at Bing Travel have crunched some numbers, and are predicting holiday travel pricing to be around the same as last year's. This makes it the first time in several years that air travel fares have not changed by 10 percent or more. Hotel prices are seen as basically flat for the holiday travel season as well. A luxury family vacation at a swanky resort on a tropical island is not out of the question.
Travel planners gripe that hotels and airlines know when travel is necessary, i.e., family-oriented holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas -- and raise prices accordingly. This may be true when comparing , say, the price of round trip air fare in March to the price (for the same destination) in late November; it makes sense from a business point of view, and travel is a big business. Nevertheless, it's nice to know that, if Bing Travel is correct, hotel guests and air travel passengers aren't going to have to fork over even more money than last year.
Thanksgiving and Christmas Travel Itineraries
The most common Thanksgiving travel times see a Wednesday departure and Sunday return. This year, the average air travel cost should be around $397, which is $65 less than the average airfare for 2008 Thanksgiving travel (and $34 less than 2009's). The most popular Christmas travel dates are a Thursday departure and Sunday return; this year's average air travel cost will be around $403, up only $14 from 2009. One budget-friendly idea is to plan a Christmas holiday return on Saturday, saving about $67 per ticket. Of course, that means missing Sunday with far-off relatives or at the chosen vacation destination: These are the checks and balances travel planners need to consider for holiday travel.
Holiday Travel Tips
Some tips for holiday travel could make it a bit less traumatic on the nerves and the wallet. Use online travel aggregators like Kayak to find the best value for air fare. Expedia is recommended for its travel packages as well, provided that luxury holiday travel plans take you to a vacation destination rather than back to one's childhood home. Another tip is to try to be flexible with departure and return dates; remember that Bing statisticians foresee a savings of almost $70 per person for Christmas travelers flying back on Saturday instead of Sunday. Consider using a travel agent for getting the best rates at a luxury hotel or any lodging; travel agents don't cost extra, and they usually have great insider information regarding unpublished rates and travel packages. Last, buy air travel tickets and make hotel reservations in early October. It's been a travel industry truism since the mid-2000s that the first two weeks of October see the most affordable airfare and best rates for holiday travel.
Holiday travel is an inescapable stress for many families, luxury trips or not. it's great to see a bit of optimism regarding the high cost of Thanksgiving and Christmas travel from Bing's Fareologists.
Jennifer W. Miner - Jennifer has years of travel writing experience, spoken at several national conferences, and more. See Jendeavor.com for more details.
