Holiday Travel Tips - Planning Ahead 

Traveling by air is expensive. But I'm not telling you something you don't know. There are many ways to save money on a flight - some of them will save a little, some will save a lot. Before you book your next trip, see if any of these savings tips are your options.

Consider flying out of another airport. Sometimes the nearest airport does not have the best prices. Checking prices at one or two nearby airports may reveal better flight rates than your nearest airport. You may have to travel an extra hour to the airport to save hundreds of dollars.

If you have a trip planned for the future, but are not yet ready to order your tickets, sign up for email alerts from all airlines flying from your nearest airport to your destination. You never know when an airline might use specials in your destination.

When you are ready to order your tickets, order as early as possible. Cheap flights are sold fast. If you are near a plane to buy your tickets; more expensive tickets. This is especially true for holidays.

If you are booking a holiday trip, consider flying on vacation yourself. In the days leading up to the holiday, airfare can be very high throughout the year. If you can fly on a holiday, you can find some of the lowest flights of the year. If you decide to book a vacation, try booking early in the morning so that you do not miss the holiday celebrations when you arrive at your destination.

If you are driving your airline directly with your airline tickets, ask for a cheaper ride, not just a train fare. There may be a cheaper ride to a better seat, but you won't know if you don't ask.

Fly on holidays. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays are considered holidays (unless it is close to a holiday). If you can fly to or from your destination in those days, you are more likely to get cheap flights.

Look for payments for red-eyed flights. Those airlines do not sell as fast as other airlines so they may have less expensive travel costs. Of course, if money were not the thing, the red eye would not be your first choice, but you could also sleep your way across the plane. That is always a good way to use a plane. And if you combine relaxation with day-to-day flying and red-eyed flying on a busy day, you may find a real treat.

Do your homework by comparing prices on different websites. Travelocity, Priceline, Expedia, Orbitz, Cheap Tickets and many other websites with discounted airline tickets and hotel discounts, car rentals, and other travel related items. Take the time to evaluate each website's value each time you book your trip.

While doing your homework, do not forget to check the airline's websites. Sometimes airlines websites have better deals than discount sites. All this homework takes time, but you will pay off in the end with great savings.

Get out of your comfort zone. You may be accustomed to flying a large airline, but considering one of the smaller aircraft, you may be surprised at how much you can save.

Before you book your tickets, make sure the price you have includes all fees and taxes. If you do not get the full price of tickets that include fees and taxes, you may not actually be booking an affordable airline ticket.

Now that you have saved money for your flight, there are some things you can do to help save money on other areas of your flight.

Find out what the maximum airline load is, and make sure you do not overdo it. If you check for overweight, the airline may charge you for each bag in excess.

If you are going to the airport by car, plan an early departure to park in one of the parking lots near the airport.

If you have a niece or nephew who is in college, a neighbor or someone of the same age who lives nearby have asked you to drive you to and from the airport. You can pay them $ 25 to go back and save a lot on parking at the airport, and get door-to-door service at the airport.

Take your own snack. If your airline offers you food, it may charge you, and it may not be very good. You will also not be tempted to pay the high price for the simple items you purchase in the post-security agreement because you will already have what you need on the plane.

The same goes for your learning materials. Bring the ones you already have at home instead of buying them at the airport stores. Flight is the best time to read the book you intend to read.