TRAVEL

Three ways to save on your Thanksgiving flights

Rick Seaney
Special for USA TODAY

Where will you be this Nov. 24? If you must get to Mom’s or Grandma’s house and need to fly, you should start thinking about Thanksgiving right now — unless you want to pay more than you have to.

Three things to do now for Thanksgiving travel

1. Make a plan

Maybe this is obvious, but many of us neglect this chore until Thanksgiving fares skyrocket. Plan now — and that means figuring out where you’ll go for Turkey Day so you can start comparing fares and book those flights now.

2. Book flights

Yes, book now — within the next six weeks if at all possible. Here are the penalties for waiting:

  • September: Add an extra $1 per day for each day you delay booking until mid-month, when it rises to $2 per day through October
  • November: Add $4 per day 

You don’t have to be a mathematician to know it adds up fast.

3. Fly the cheapest itinerary

You probably know that, traditionally, the most popular days to fly at Thanksgiving are the Wednesday before the holiday and the Sunday after, and popular = expensive. A better plan is to fly Tuesday to Saturday, or Thursday to Tuesday. Wait, isn’t Thursday the actual holiday? Yes, Thursday is Turkey Day but don’t let that faze you; if you only need to be in the air for an hour or two and can fly early, you’ll arrive in plenty of time for the big game and big drumsticks. Take a look at these examples* of round-trip airfares:

Richmond to Tampa

  • Wednesday-Sunday: $579
  • Tuesday-Saturday: $459
  • Thursday-Tuesday: $279

Dallas to Omaha

  • Wednesday-Sunday: $296
  • Tuesday-Saturday: $247
  • Thursday-Tuesday: $215

*All fares were found late last week. Such savings may not be available on all routes but it’s common; again, you have to compare fares for prices and dates.

Final thought — and one regular readers are probably sick of hearing about, but — use a carry-on bag. On most airlines, it will save you a $50 checked-bag fee and Thanksgiving is such a short holiday, you won’t be packing much.

FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney is an airline industry insider and top media air travel resource. Follow Rick (@rickseaney) and never overpay for airfare again.