Travel experts say don’t wait to book flights this holiday season

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - If you’re planning to fly for the holidays this year and wondering whether to wait to finalize those plans, experts said don’t. If you haven’t locked in your travel plans for Thanksgiving yet, experts said you may miss your chance at getting a deal, but said the travel forecast this year isn’t all bad news.

Flying for the holidays -- some people we spoke with said they can’t wait for their upcoming trips.

“Going to Mexico tomorrow and going to San Francisco for Thanksgiving,” Ron McDowell, a traveler, said.

While others said they are still looking for that holiday flight for the right price.

“It’s kind of ridiculously high,” Kiarash Karegar, a traveler, said.

Travel experts said most people book Thanksgiving travel about a month or two out, which is exactly what McDowell did.

“Like a month in advance, and for the trip to Mexico was probably two months in advance,” McDowell said.

According to recent AAA data, if you haven’t booked for Thanksgiving already, there’s still time. Booking now, right inside the one-month window closer to the holidays actually might help you find better deals on airfare. The tradeoff for not booking sooner? Inventory may be limited. But if you do plan to travel, they said don’t wait until the week of Thanksgiving because the average ticket price creeps back up.

Some people we spoke with said they prefer to stay away from airports during the holidays altogether.

“I’m avoiding it because I can’t stand the nightmare you go through with TSA. It’s just out of control,” Robert Davies said.

Local travel agency Journeys Around the World tells FOX 12 they’ve seen airfare for international business class flights double during this holiday season. And said some of their clients are booking as far out as spring break.

But travelers who plan to fly this holiday season said the hassle and price tag aside – it’ll be worth it.

“I get to go and experience 85-degree weather,” McDowell said.

The travel agent shared some tips to make your flying experience a bit smoother this holiday season: consider getting TSA Pre-Check, have your vaccination records handy, and said a little bit of patience goes a long way.

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