No matter where you're planning to travel this holiday season, airline surcharges and fees can add to the cost of your trip.
Airline travel remains a popular way for families to connect especially during the period of the year encompassing Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The “holiday season” sees some of the highest passenger loads with airports packed with travelers especially around each particular holiday.
$10 Holiday Surcharge
SmarterTravel, the travel resource site which also owns Seat Guru, Booking Buddy and Airfare Watchdog, is warning holiday travelers that capacity cuts and higher airline fees this year will make it more difficult for consumers to save money. The company cites a surprise ten dollar holiday surcharge for some travelers, an unexpected and unwelcome change recently added.
“Due to capacity cuts, it is not only about finding a deal this season, it’s about getting a seat,” said Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel. “My advice is if you see a deal – book it now; don’t wait for prices to drop further because they likely won’t and your seat will be gone.”
To that end, SmarterTravel offers helpful tips on how holiday travelers can save money this year especially if they act now:
- Factor In Those Fees: Now more than ever, it’s important to add baggage fees and other ancillary charges into the price of your ticket. Check the SmarterTravel ultimate guide to airline fees when you’re comparing fares.
- Compare, Compare, Compare: Don’t just check prices when you’re ready to book. Start early so you can get a sense of whether fares are on the way up or down. Remember to check the airlines’ own sites in addition to online travel sellers.
- Act Fast: Airlines are running sales with little advance notice and short purchase windows, so you may have to make some quick decisions to take advantage of sale rates.
- If the Price Drops – Call: On many airlines, if the price of your flight drops after you book, you can get the difference refunded.
- Look for Alternate Days: Check out the flexible fare searches offered by many airlines and online travel sellers. Save by flying a day earlier or later.
- Book Outside of Peak Periods for Holiday Travel: For Thanksgiving, that means flying before Thanksgiving week and returning on or after the Monday following the holiday. For Christmas, consider leaving between December 16 and 18 and returning between January 4 and 6.
- Expand Your Search: Be sure to compare prices from all the airports near your home to all the airports in the region you’ll be visiting; you can often find better deals outside your major airport.
Finally, check out SmarterTravel for additional news and tips including newsletter alerts. In addition, visit SayFunTravel.com for airline, cruise, hotel, car rental and other travel related deals.
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