Traveling this holiday season? Book your flights now

Reporter: Andryanna Sheppard
Published: Updated:

Halloween isn’t even here yet, but it’s time to think about holiday travel and your flights. After all, there’s no place like home for the holidays.

The airport can be a stressful place at the end of the year, but not for Dallas-area resident, Ernestine Faggett. She was visiting her son and grandsons who live in Southwest Florida in October.

“I feel excited because I’m going somewhere different, doing something for the holidays. It’s a break. Yeah, it’s work, but it’s a break,” Faggett added.

It’s not too early to look into flights for your holiday break. NerdWallet’s Travel Expert Sally French said the time to book holiday travel is now to keep more money in your wallet.

“Once you start to look at November and December to book those holiday airfares, they’re going to be really high,” French said.

RSW Travel
Southwest Florida International Airport (Credit: WINK News)

Travel website The Points Guy found weekday flights are likely cheaper than weekends. Apps and websites like Hopper, Kayak and Google Flights can help you track flight prices and will alert you when fares drop. French adds despite inflation, holiday flights are expected to be cheaper this year.

“In fact, airfares for Christmas in domestic flights are averaging about $400, according to Hopper data,” French said. “That’s actually down at 12 percent from the same air fares that week last year.

A lot can happen between when you book and when you get to your destination. So French recommends travel insurance to protect your wallet and your trip. A travel credit card can protect even more.

“Many travel credit cards have an underrated perk and that is travel insurance for trips paid for on that card,” French added. “Even though these cards have annual fees, often the cost to purchase travel insurance on its own is similar to the credit card’s annual fee, which is why a travel credit card can be a really smart move.”

RSW Travel
(Credit: WINK News)

Some travel credit cards will even reimburse you for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck enrollment fees.

Although Faggett is visiting family in Southwest Florida in October, she plans on coming back for Christmas and will book that flight in the next couple of weeks.

“I use my money a little less so I have a little more for traveling. I have grandsons here. I have to spend the holidays with them,” she said.

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