5 Ways to Save Money on Holiday Flights

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Planning to travel for the holidays, but don’t want to risk going into debt buying plane tickets? Find out how to save money on holiday flights. 

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and if you want to avoid overspending on holiday expenses, now is the time to get into planning mode. Many people travel to see family and friends for the holidays. Since it’s a busy time of year to fly, you can expect to pay higher prices when buying airline tickets.

But it’s still possible to save money on holiday flights. I’ll outline a few tips to help you keep more money in your pocket when booking holiday flights.

1. Don’t wait to buy your tickets

Buying your tickets in advance is an excellent way to save on flight costs, especially if you’ll be flying during a busy travel season. If you have not yet purchased airfare for the holidays, now is the time to act. If you continue to delay buying your tickets, you’ll likely pay a much higher price because there is more demand and fewer tickets left to book. Don’t wait any longer.

2. Use airfare pricing tools to your advantage

As you research flight options, don’t forget about airfare pricing tools like Google Flights. You can compare prices across multiple carriers to find the best deal. You can also play around with your departure and arrival dates to find the cheapest days to fly. If you need to wait to buy your tickets, you can track flight prices through Google Flights to monitor price changes.

3. Put your credit card rewards to use

Another way to save money on holiday flights is by using your credit card rewards. Many people use rewards credit cards to earn valuable rewards when spending with their cards. If you have unused points or miles, you may want to check to see if any award flights are available to book. It’s worth noting that many travelers book award tickets in advance, so there may be limited (or no) award flight availability.

If that’s the case, another option is to charge your travel credit card for the expense and use your credit card rewards to get a statement credit. If you have a collection of rewards that are sitting unused, this could be an easy way to get a significant discount on your flight purchase.

4. Get creative

Creativity can also help you save money on holiday flights. Before booking airfare, consider other ways to reduce your flight costs. Can you fly in and out of a nearby city? Do any budget airlines fly to your destination? Are you able to get a better deal by booking one-way flights? These creative solutions could help you spend less money when buying flights.

5. Go where no one else is going

If you’re feeling sticker shock from the prices you’re seeing, there may be another option. Instead of visiting friends or family for the holiday season, why not take a vacation? Another way to save money on holiday flights is by traveling to less popular and costly destinations.

Many airfare pricing tools like Google Flights make it easy to find flight deals around the globe. Instead of entering a pre-chosen destination, enter “anywhere.” You’ll be shown prices for destinations worldwide. You can also search entire states, countries, and continents. This could be a great way to plan a memorable holiday experience without draining your bank account.

It’s not too late to make holiday travel plans

If you still have yet to book airfare for the upcoming holidays, it’s not too late. Consider giving some of the above strategies a try to avoid overpaying for airfare. When booking your flights, pay with one of the best travel credit cards to earn rewards. For additional ways to save money, check out our free personal finance resources.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Natasha Gabrielle has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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