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Travel Expert Offers Tips For Holidays

November 9, 2006

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For those flying home for the holidays, getting the best price on airline tickets can be a challenge, but a Purdue University aviation professor says there are a few tips that can help.

"The airline industry is no different than any other service-based industry in that it works on the principle of supply and demand," says Dale Oderman, an associate professor of aviation technology. "When demand is up, such as around the holidays, then prices generally go up as well."

He says that for those looking for a real deal on airfares, traveling on the day of the holiday -- such as on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day -- almost guarantees that demand and prices will be down. But since not many people want to travel on the holiday itself, there are still ways to find good prices.

"For Thanksgiving, flying on Tuesday and Wednesday is especially expensive, so if you can fly out before then, it can work to your advantage," he says. "And on the return flight, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest flying day of the year."

Oderman says a better option is to fly home on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving.

"Mondays all year round are more expensive and busy because it tends to be a big day for business travelers," he says.

Since Christmas Day falls on a Monday this year, Oderman says the best option may be flying on either Christmas Eve or on the Thursday before Christmas.

"This year, Friday and Saturday will be busy days because people will be off work and ready to go to their destinations," he says. "But at Christmas, people are usually more flexible in actual travel dates because school vacations last longer than at Thanksgiving."

In general, Oderman says it's best to shop around for the best ticket prices, checking out both airline Web sites as well as discount travel sites such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz. He says comparing different days of the week as well as alternate departure times during the day can save travelers money.

"Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday flights tend to be cheaper," he says. "Friday and Sunday flights are more expensive because people like to travel after work on Friday, and Sunday is a big travel day because everyone wants to be home by Monday."

In addition, he says some of the best prices are on "red-eye" flights if travelers don't mind flying at odd hours.

Another factor that affects airfares is fuel cost, and some airlines have been charging a surcharge due to higher fuel prices. The recent decline in fuel prices, however, has led to some of those surcharges being dropped, Oderman says.

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