You will quickly discover that 16 weeks of study will be over in “a blink of an eye”. Thoughts of leaving the campus do not register with until after the Thanksgiving break when you realize that there are only two weeks left in the semester. You are now in a panic mode as you realize that you should have made some type of reservation, whether it is a plane, train or bus, much earlier.

 

The student fall exodus starts around the third week of December. It seems like everyone is leaving - vying for a ticket home or for a vacation destination. Many will discover that they should have made reservations months ago.  You cringe at the thought of being left behind while all your friends travel either home or around the United States.  You now have the unenviable task of trying to find a suitable, inexpensive and convenient way to your desired destination.

 

Finding the right deal is often challenging when you consider that there at least a million options and everyone wants to travel during the peak holiday season.   Early planning is critical to your quest to find the best air, train or bus ticket deal possible.  For example, many American students book their Thanksgiving and Christmas travel in September! Here are some points to keep in mind when booking air fares:

 

1. Tuesday and Wednesday are the best times to book flights.  For the lowest rates, Domestic flights should be booked three to five weeks before departure and international flights should be purchased no sooner than three months prior to departure.
2. September usually has the lowest domestic fares. January and October are the next lowest months. The next two months also are a good time to travel - February and March
3. Trips that are shorter than 7 days are cheaper. Try to adjust your itinerary by a few hours or a day or two, the savings can be considerable.
4. The best fares are for long weekends Saturday to Monday. Always try to include a Saturday stay.
5. Using third party sites such as: Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity or CheapOair, is a good way to start but always go back to the airline’s “branded” web site to see if you can get the same flight cheaper (especially if you have frequent flyer miles).
6. Consider looking at other sites, such as:  Priceline. Remember that there are tradeoffs when using other sites travel flexibility, airline selection may be restricted, and most transactions are non-refundable.
7. Consider and compare flights from nearby airports such as: Bradley Airport, Greene Airport in Providence or Logan Airport in Boston.  You may be surprised to discover that the same route varies from one airport to another.

 

There is an old adage; the early bird gets the worm. So don’t forget to plan ahead.

 

Bob Chudy