NOTE: This story was published in partnership with our NBC affiliate in Philadelphia.
Traveling can be one of the most stressful parts of the holidays, but NBC 5 Responds has your travel guide for the best travel deals, and how to reduce the chance of having your flight disrupted by up to 50%!
Before we get to that, travelers will need to be ready for packed flights, as holiday travel is expected to rise yet again this year.
“We're expecting a very busy holiday travel season, probably the busiest since pre-pandemic,” said Hayley Berg, Lead Travel Economist at Hopper.
When you’re mapping out your holiday travel, Berg recommends booking before prices skyrocket.
“After the middle of October, prices will rise by 5 to 10% every single day until Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Berg.
For those that haven't booked travel, there are still ways to save.
Local
First Flight of the Day
Get ready to set an early alarm clock, and book the first flight of the day—it can pay off in two ways.
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“It will usually be a little less expensive, and it's about 50% less likely to be delayed or canceled as all of those flights departing after 8 a.m. or 9 a.m.,” said Berg.
Travel Day Tuesday
Being a procrastinator when it comes to booking a Christmas flight may actually pay off.
“Travel Deal Tuesday is the best day of the year to get a deal on travel. Flights, hotels, rental cars,” said Berg.
Travel Day Tuesday is coming up this week on Nov. 28.
Christmas Travel
The best days to travel for Christmas change every year, depending on which day Christmas falls on. This year, it’s on a Monday.
“We recommend not flying on Thursday or Friday before the holiday weekend. This year, they'll be the most popular travel dates. Airports will be busy. Prices will be high. Try to fly on Sunday, Dec. 24 or earlier in the week before Christmas weekend,” said Berg.
If you run into flight cancellations: don’t waste time rebooking!
“You can sometimes rebook yourself in the airline's app. So if you can have someone on the phone, someone trying to rebook on the airline's app and someone physically in line, you will hopefully find a resolution a little bit faster by exploring all three routes,” said Berg.
