Here’s How to Find Affordable Thanksgiving Flights

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With Thanksgiving fast approaching, you might be putting the finishing touches on your travel plans to see family for the holiday. As you look at flight prices, though, you might be concerned that you’ve waited too long. These tips, though, will get you out of that mindset. Read on to learn how to find affordable Thanksgiving flights – even with Thanksgiving less than a month away.

1. Extend your trip slightly

Flying to your destination the day before Thanksgiving is a surefire way to stumble into exorbitant prices. Same goes for flying home the Sunday after Thanksgiving to be back in time for work Monday – and, if you try to stay around for a day longer, even Monday prices are expensive. To land cheaper flight prices now, consider extending your Thanksgiving trip slightly by arriving the Tuesday or Monday before Thanksgiving and leaving the Tuesday or Wednesday after. It’s holiday season – bosses will likely understand if you need to take more than the four-day weekend off to see family.

2. Do a one-day trip

Does the idea of flying to your family the very day of Thanksgiving and then back that night sound like a logistical nightmare? It might just be worth the money you save. A one-day trip can save you as much as 30 percent on airfare, and you’ll still get to see plenty of your family. Just make sure you’re stocked on caffeine – that food coma’s gonna come on much stronger if you’re flying into town early and leaving late.

3. Fly low-cost carriers – but do so carefully

How much luggage do you really need for a simple long weekend with family? Probably not much. If that’s the case, you might save tons of money flying on a low-cost carrier. But you’ll need to be careful when you do so, as these carriers are low-cost for a reason – there are plenty of rules you can unwittingly break that can result in unexpected additional charges. Read up on how to fly low-cost carriers hassle-free before considering them.

4. Sign up for price alerts

Sure, Thanksgiving is just under a month away, but that cheap flight you need might appear out of nowhere between now and then. Set up price alerts with leading airfare search engines to get emails or texts every time flights within your budget, date range, and other filters are posted. You can also use price alerts to keep tabs on flights from several airports, a trick that ties directly into the next tip.

5. Consider different airports

The airport nearest you might not necessarily be the cheapest from which to fly. If you can reach other airports without spending too much money on transportation and/or parking, your journey may be well worth the money you save on airfare. And with holiday fares often reaching prices no less than extravagant, you might later look back on the annoyance of the extra effort expended as a blessing.

What are some of your tips for finding affordable Thanksgiving flights? Sound off in the comments!

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