Thanksgiving - Travel Deals

Thanksgiving Travel Deals

turkeyWhen most of us think about the Thanksgiving holiday, it’s images of family dinners, great feasts, football games, and general happiness that probably come to mind first. For anyone who’s not within driving distance of all that stuff, however, the famously horrendous crowds at the airport follow closely behind.

Thanksgiving remains one of the worst times to travel in the U.S., and the increased volume of passengers – while annoying in and of itself – can lead to more delays, more cancellations, and (perhaps worst of all) more expensive tickets. Some of the problems that are associated with Thanksgiving travel can’t be avoided so much as prepared for, but when it comes to paying too much for an airline ticket – that’s where we draw the line.

Chances are you’ll pay more to travel at Thanksgiving than you would if you traveled the week before, but there are definitely some things you can do to make sure you’re not paying top dollar for your flight. That’s just one of the topics covered in the helpful articles below.

>> In 2012, Thanksgiving is on Thursday, November 222nd

Virgin America: Fares to be Thankful for

virgin-america-logo

Thanksgiving is just couple of days away and probably some of you haven’t managed to book a flight yet…or don’t even have an idea where to head to. For you, Virgin America has some great fares. You can book the tickets by November 29, 2010 and travel until December 2, 2010. Advance purchase require (1 day).

The routes on sale are:

  • San Francisco to Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas $129
  • Seattle to San Francisco $149
  • Seattle to Los Angeles $169
  • Washington D.C. (Dulles), Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Boston, New York, Toronto to Los Angeles, San Francisco $299

All fares are one-way and don’t include some of the taxes and fees. Seats are limited. These are all Main Cabin Select fares and include a little extra legroom, free food, drinks, and entertainment.

You can find more details about the sale on airline’s official website

Read more Virgin America Flight Deals

Best and Worst Days to Travel for Thanksgiving

tgivingAnyone who has paid attention to the news in November each year knows that Thanksgiving is, by a long shot, the busiest time to travel in the United States. Every local TV station has its own crew at the airport on the day before Thanksgiving, hoping they’ll catch some irate traveler on camera who’s just been bumped from their third flight. But despite knowing it’s one of the worst times to travel each year, thousands of us still file into airports across the country and cross our fingers.

If you’re one of the people who absolutely can’t get out of flying home for Thanksgiving, then the next best option is to minimize your travel stress levels by avoiding the busiest travel days. This may mean you’ll need to take an extra day of vacation from work, but it’s worth it if you can spare the time. Because let’s face it, wouldn’t you rather be sitting in front of the TV eating leftover turkey and stuffing with your family than sitting in an uncomfortable airport chair waiting for an opening on the stand-by list?

>> In 2012, Thanksgiving is on Thursday, November 22
>> Learn more about Thanksgiving travel deals

How to Find Cheap Thanksgiving Airfare

tgivingturkeyTraveling at Thanksgiving can be one of the most stressful things you’ll do all year, but if you end up paying too much for your ticket that’s just adding insult to injury. There’s not necessarily much you can do to make the airport less crowded or the weather any more pleasant for flying, but there’s definitely something you can do to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible on your ticket.

A few somethings, in fact.

In this article we’ll look at the best ways to find cheap airfare for Thanksgiving travel, some of which are tips that will apply to non-holiday travel and some of which really are targeted to these overly busy times at the airport. For starters, you should pat yourself on the back for taking the first step in getting a deal on Thanksgiving airfare – you’re doing the research. Well done.

Now take that forward momentum further with these tips, too.

>> Thanksgiving in 2012 is on Thursday, November 22
>> Find out more about Thanksgiving travel deals

Top 10 Busiest US Airports During Thanksgiving

crowded_airport.jpgThe holidays may seem like they’re a long way off, but they’ll be here before you know it. And this is the time of year when you need to be thinking about holiday travel – because if you wait until after Halloween, it’s almost too late.

As you probably know by now, a lot of people choose to cram themselves on airplanes and hurtle through the air at 50,000 feet all in the name of Thanksgiving and Christmas. The holiday travel crowds are expected to be busier than ever this season and the smart traveler will do their part to avoid the 10 busiest airports during Thanksgiving.

If you have plans to travel to any of the locations below during the holidays, you might want to look into flying into smaller airports that are located nearby. It might add a bit to your costs, but sometimes paying a bit more is worth it if you can avoid the hassles of long airport lines and delayed flights that lead to missed connecting flights.

>> Thanksgiving in 2012 is on Thursday, November 22

>> Learn more about how to find Thanksgiving travel deals

Top 10 Busiest US Airports during Thanksgiving

  1. Chicago, IL – Chicago O’Hare (ORD) find cheap flights to Chicago for Thanksgiving
  2. Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) find cheap flights to Los Angeles for Thanksgiving
  3. Newark, NJ – Newark International Airport (EWR) find cheap flights to Newark for Thanksgiving
  4. Boston, MA – Logan International Airport (BOS) find cheap flights to Boston for Thanksgiving
  5. Denver, CO – Denver International Airport (DEN) find cheap flights to Denver for Thanksgiving
  6. New York, NY – La Guardia Airport (LGA) find cheap flights to New York for Thanksgiving
  7. Orlando, FL – Orlando International Airport (MCO) find cheap flights to Orlando for Thanksgiving
  8. Atlanta, GA – Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) find cheap flights to Atlanta for Thanksgiving
  9. San Francisco, CA – San Francisco International Airport (SFO) find cheap flights to San Francisco for Thanksgiving
  10. Phoenix, AZ – Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) find cheap flights to Phoenix for Thanksgiving

November Travel Deals

If you pay enough attention to travel industry experts, you’ve probably heard the term “shoulder season” before. It refers to the seasons between the high season and the low season in any destination, and it tends to be when you’ll get the best travel value for your money. No, fares aren’t usually as low in the shoulder seasons as they are in the low season, but the weather is usually good enough in the shoulder seasons that you won’t feel stuck inside all day on vacation.

November is, in most parts of the world, considered part of a shoulder season – and depending on where you want to go and when in November you’re planning to travel, you could still find great November travel deals with little to no effort. Unfortunately, however, for most Americans the big November trip we end up planning is on the busiest travel weekend of the year – Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Travel Airport Survival Tips

busyairportLet’s just say you didn’t read up on the best days to travel at Thanksgiving in time for this year’s pilgrimage back to the homestead and you’re stuck at the airport on a day when it seems like all of humanity is sharing the terminal with you. Or, even worse, you did plan ahead but the airport’s a zoo anyway and people are getting bumped from flights right and left.

Rather than giving into the bedlam, rushing the check-in counter, and threatening bodily harm to everyone around you, you can stay a bit more relaxed in these situations if you’re armed with the necessary tools to help you survive the chaos that is Thanksgiving holiday travel at the airport.

Of course, if you’re one of those people who’s hoping to be bumped so you’ve got an excuse for not seeing your in-laws over Thanksgiving (or just to get a free flight or whatever the airline’s handing out as a reward to people who give up their seats), then feel free to ignore all of these tips. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you.

>> Thanksgiving in 2012 is on Thursday, November 22
>> And because we know saving money is high on your list of things that prevent stress, here’s how to get a cheap ticket at Thanksgiving.

Don’t Press Your Luck: Book your Cheap Thanksgiving Flights Today

pressyourluck2.jpgTraveling during the holidays can be rough, especially on the wallet. Unless you are willing to press your luck (no whammies, no whammies, stop!) and wait until the last minute to find a deal, you probably should arrange your flight right about now. The deals out that aren’t fabulous, but considering it is a holiday and everyone and their mother will be traveling that weekend, the prices could be worse. In fact, they will get worse the longer you wait so get it done now so you can suck down some turkey without feeling like you lost on a game show.

Spend your Thanksgiving in Europe

thanksgivingdinenr.jpgNothing is more American than Thanksgiving. The pilgrims, the Indians, the turkeys and pumpkin pie…Thanksgiving is a time for gluttony and a time to be thankful for football on television. If you are the adventurous type, and I suspect you are, Thanksgiving in another country can be a whole heck of a lot of fun. For one thing, no one else will be celebrating it so that makes you special. For another, you probably get days off at work so you won’t have to take too much vacation time. Plus, you won’t have to listen to your boring aunt tell the same stories over and over and over again, unless you choose to bring her along.

Cheapflights is offering up some sweet deals for trips to Europe for Thanksgiving this year. Whether you want to go to Prague, Rome or even London, you can have yourself a memorable American holiday in another country.

For the best deals on flights to Europe you can always find them here.