Discount Hotels Round-Up: A Collection of Our Favorite Tips for Getting the Most out of Holiday Travel

TRY DIFFERENT AIRPORTS

(Via Chron Business)

To get the cheapest holiday fare, airfare experts suggest alternate airports. Flying into Fort Lauderdale is cheaper than flying into Miami during the holidays, for example. Try not to fly on the busiest travel days, such as the day before Thanksgiving.

Ask if hotels offer shuttle service instead of renting a car, and if you still need a rental, try to book one in the city instead of paying the generally more expensive airport rates.

“You need to rethink your vacation,” Parsons said.

Traveling during Dec. 21 to 28 is generally cheaper than traveling Dec. 26 to Jan. 2, Parsons’ company found.

He also suggests considering traveling to Europe for Thanksgiving instead of a domestic destination because the Christmas decorations will already be up in some cities.

“Nobody else celebrates Thanksgiving,” Parsons said. “It’s one of the more intriguing times to be in Europe if you like bright lights.”

TAKE NOTE OF FLUCTUATION IN TICKET PRICING

(Via Mercury News)

For Thanksgiving flights, fares are just starting to climb, according to historical data analyzed by Expedia for the Associated Press. Ticket prices usually peak about three weeks ahead of the holiday, said Daniel Kissin, Expedia’s manager of strategy and analysis. For Christmas travel, ticket prices will likely be highest in mid-November, he added.

But procrastinators take note: There should be a period after those peaks when fares will fall — two weeks before Thanksgiving and two weeks before Christmas — as airlines evaluate their bookings.

DON’T PICK A SEAT

(Via Jaunted)

We’ve booked plenty of flights where we get that dreaded message about our seat being assigned at the airport. However, it might not necessarily be a bad thing. Even if there are open seats available when you look online be sure to resist the urge to pick out one that isn’t up to your standards. Often the bulkhead rows—or other halfway decent seats—are only assigned by the agent working at the gate. This means that instead of selecting something sub-par in advance, there’s a chance that infinite legroom can become yours thanks to a little bit of seat gambling.

BE MINDFUL OF NEW SECURITY MEASURES

(Via MSNBC Travel Tips)

Secure Flight is a behind-the-scenes effort by the TSA to better match potential terrorists with watch lists. The program, which has been rolled out in phases, will formally start on Nov. 1. It requires airlines to collect a passenger’s full name, birth date and gender at booking. Passengers that don’t provide that information at least 72 hours before a flight won’t be issued a boarding pass.

All the airlines and most of the third-party sites like Hotwire or Orbitz already require this information when you book. But you could run into problems when you get to the airport if your name as listed on your government identification is different than on your ticket.

The TSA estimates that only about 1 percent of travelers won’t make it through security because of a discrepancy, Kimball says. Although it’s unlikely you won’t be able to fly because of a mishap, you still might be delayed if your ID and ticket don’t match up. That hold-up will likely be less than five or 10 minutes while screeners verify your ID and boarding pass, Orbitz’s Tornatore estimates.

But when you’re trying to catch a flight, “10-minute delays can make a difference,” she said.