Halloween just ended and now holiday decorations are already starting to spring up. We have had a debate around my office about how soon to start putting up your decorations. I say wait until the calendar reads "December."
The kind of holiday planning you need to jump on right away is travel plans. In fact, it looks like a lot of us are procrastinating with this. Travel website Hotwire.com says as of November 1, 82 percent of U.S. adults haven't booked yet. If you are planning to fly, time is running out.
"So far, Thanksgiving prices have been pretty consistent with last year, but we're expecting increases to begin now as the 21-day countdown to Thanksgiving begins," said Clem Bason, president of the Hotwire Group.
Timing when you buy your ticket has always been key to getting your best price. Travel experts do recommend you buy your ticket at least 14 to 21 days before you fly.
But, there's also a best day of the week to buy – travel expert Peter Greenberg says it's Wednesday! Smartmoney.com says this is how it works. Airlines set their fares over the weekend. Then, in the coming days, competing airlines try to match it. And they go back and forth. The result is late Tuesday, early Wednesday morning, they hit their lowest mark. In fact, Greenburg says 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday is the best time because that's when at the airlines usually reload their computers with the latest low-cost fares. And the worst time to buy? Greenburg says avoid booking over the weekend.
And Hotwire.com says there are some other ways to save. Check out nearby airports for better deals. Avoid flying the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after the holiday. Those are notoriously busy travel days.
When it comes to booking a hotel for Thanksgiving, hotwire.com says you still have plenty of time. In this case, last minute is best. The discount website says many people will stay with family for the holiday, so hotels in big cities will have lots of rooms to unload at deep discounts. Hotwire.com recommends booking three days before arrival.
Take this advice and you might be able to pull off a stress-free and low cost holiday vacation. Now, you just have to get through Thanksgiving dinner without any family fueds. Maybe you should look into that hotel now?
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