When Not to Fly During the Holidays

It's the holidays once again and what better way to enjoy the festive season than to travel to see your loved ones and be with them. According to http://www.travelogger.net, an estimate of about 37.2 million Americans will be traveling at least 50 miles from their homes during this period. Taking this figure into consideration, it is almost certain that instead of taking a tiresome road trip, travelers will most likely opt to travel in an airplane where they can sit and relax and be at their intended destination in way less hours than what would take if they drove.

The holiday season actually begins during the Thanksgiving weekend and then it goes all the way through Christmas and ends on New Year. These are three major celebrations that guarantee busy airports, full-packed flights, flight delays, and the whole nine yards of holiday travel nightmares. Some people will still prefer the road over the air but for those who either choose to or are forced to travel by air, it would be helpful if you planned your trip ahead of time.

For Thanksgiving, don't schedule your trip on a Wednesday because that would mean you will be traveling with more than half of the total population of travelers during this time. If you plan ahead, it's best to travel Monday or Tuesday of the same week. If you are not working and you have the luxury of time, fly the weekend before Thanksgiving week. This way, you can actually spend more time with your friends and family.

Going back after Thanksgiving, it's best to travel Friday of the same week. Majority will want to take the Sunday flights. However, this can prove to be a nightmare because people will be tired and in a rush with still a slight (or major) hang-over from the Turkey and the parties.

This year, both Christmas and New Year will fall on a Tuesday. The best days to travel before Christmas would be on the 21^st (Friday) and the 22^nd (Saturday). In between Christmas and New Year, go for the 26^th (Wednesday) & 27^th (Thursday). If you can only afford to travel for the New Year, pick either the 28^th or the 29^th. Like the 24^th, the 30^th will most likely create a nightmare and you might end up spending more than what you intend to and if push comes to shove, you run the risk of missing the celebration with your friends and family. Now, after New Year, it's best to travel on the 4^th through the weekend. Of course, this may be impossible to some if they would have to go back to work on the 2^nd or the 3^rd but if you have choice, pick the weekend after New Year to go home.

Seasoned travelers usually know where to get the best travel deals for the holidays. However, since not everyone is as experienced and knowledgeable as some, here are some online sites where you can find some great prices for your holiday airfares: http://www.travel.com.au/, http://www.lastminute.com, http://www.mytravel.com/, http://www.travelsupermarket.com/, http://www.independenttraveler.com/, and http://www.travelzoo.com/holiday/.