You may be tempted to welcome 2012 while on vacation but
this could be a very expensive trip. In the past, waiting until the last minute
to book a New Year’s flight was a good idea. Airlines would sell their leftover
seats at reduced prices shortly before the flight date. These days, capacity
reductions make these discount airline
tickets difficult to find.
Between this and airlines merging, competition has
decreased, which tends to make prices rise. Therefore, booking far in advance
of the holiday is the best bet. Though this window of opportunity has passed,
there is another way to get cheap
airline tickets. Booking a flight for the week after New Year’s Day, called
the dead week, is an excellent idea. Few people will be flying and most
destinations consider this their slow time.
Start looking for post-New Year flights now, not after the
holiday has passed. Sign up for airline email alerts, review airline sites
regularly to learn about the latest sales, and become an airline follower on
Twitter to take advantage of flash sales. The Expedia Trend Tracker tool is
helpful for finding discount airline
ticket and hotel prices for the desired dates.
Bing offers a Travel Farecast resource that advises
travelers of the best time to purchase airline tickets based on historical
trends. Matching past prices with forecasted weather will result in the best
deal. Having some flexibility regarding post-holiday travel dates is also
helpful. If a good deal comes along, take it.
Time is running out to find low airfares for the week after
New Year’s Day, so act quickly. The flight should be an enjoyable one, as the
lack of passengers will leave ample space to stretch out in airplane seats.
Some travelers enjoy flying so much during this time of year that they schedule
holiday celebrations for after the new year.
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