Home For Thanksgiving Holiday

Will you be home for the holidays? Home and family still call us home for winter celebrations. With everyone living far from home these days, holiday travel can be expensive. And, if there is snow or sun in the picture, home is even more attractive. There are ways of making travel home for the holidays easier and more affordable.

For example, it’s never too early to plan for travel at Thanksgiving, four heavy travel days. What’s a person to do on one of the heaviest travel periods of the year?

1. Fly on Thanksgiving Day

Flying on Thanksgiving Day itself can be very cheap. And, if your flight is a short one, say within New England, you can probably make it home before dinner at a bargain price. But, you probably don’t want to drive anywhere on a Thanksgiving Day highway.

Image Courtesy of pixabay.com

2. Look at the calendar

There’s no reason to obsess on the 4-day weekend. For instance, traveling out on Monday and returning on Friday may afford the best prices. Everyone else will drive the prices up on Wednesday and Sunday. And, if you can link your dates with an extended stay to ski or enjoy a nearby beach, you can schedule around the high traffic days.

3. Choose an airport

Travel websites automatically schedule plans through major airports. But, shopping may open your choices to alternative airports. Love Airport serves Dallas as well as Dallas-Ft. Worth International; Chicago has Midway as well as O’Hare; and, Ontario and John Wayne Airports can be much better choices than Los Angeles International.

4. Layovers kill

Every time you change planes, there is a risk. You can miss the next flight or lose transferred baggage. And, if you are not familiar with that layover airport, you may find it a long long way between terminals and gates.

5. Combine your venues

If you are flying to Austin through Houston with a 5-hour layover at Bush Airport, you could rent a car and get there in three hours. If you want to go to Philadelphia, you can get there in a rental car from Baltimore or Newark. Most travel sites do not suggest these options, so you need to shop smartly.

6. Pack your bags

It is time to pack simply, especially if you are traveling with children. Their carseats, strollers, and supplies take up room and raise your expenses if you have to check them in. Otherwise, pack to avoid check-in luggage fees. Select luggage and pack tightly in carry-on baggage. Just make sure your carry-on content complies with TSA rules.

7. Shop online

The internet opens huge travel options in travel time, package combinations, and price variations. Sometimes, a package deal offers free hotel or car for a day. Sometimes, you can barter your frequent flyer miles for travel around the holidays (even if the holiday is blacked out). And, sometimes you can negotiate a cheaper fare by playing the website against the live airline rep on the phone.

Image Courtesy of pixabay.com

Some 39 million will travel this Thanksgiving. With enough planning, you can join them and  even get others to pay for your trip. More and more people, couples, and families are turning to crowdfunding to raise money for their travel. With a crowdfunding campaign, you can explain your needs, talk up your adventure, and share your plans with family, friends, and social networks. They can contribute any amount to your account without restrictions. Politicians and charities have raised money in this way knowing that even small contributions add up. So, give this idea serious thought for funding your holiday trips, honeymoons, or family vacations. Crowdfunding can get you home for the holidays.

Wendy is a super-connector with OutreachMama who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.