Book a Thanksgiving Bargain Now
Tips for Finding Low-Cost Flights and Cheap Hotel Deals
Savvy-Surfing: See a Deal? Grab It Now!
If possible, book now before the seven-day price window closes. "Flight prices rise and fall based on capacity, however as a general rule you want to book at week in advance," said Celko.
Surf the Web for special offers and discounted packages. Perrin recommends signing up for as many fare alerts as possible to be able to jump on a deal. One of her favorites is the deal blog at FareCompare.com , which features three new deals everyday.
Web sites such as Kayak and Orbitz will also automatically track your itinerary and e-mail you with fare updates. For real-time pricing, download the Yahoo! FareChase widget to your desktop and watch prices swing on your route. Just be sure to grab a deal when you see it.
"These days the fare sales are so short-lived. You need to buy within short windows," Perrin advised.
Also consider the online travel auctions, which often offer steep discounts, albeit with risks. "If you're desperate to get there and don't care when you'll fly or how, try such opaque booking sites as Priceline.com and Hotwire.com," said Frommer. "You'll need to use their bidding blind sections, though, not the ordinary booking sections."
If you're low-tech or low on time, don't hesitate to call a travel agent. "In many cases agents do have better deals, however they always have an advantage over technology. At times finding the absolute lowest deal is accomplished by combining segments and ticket attributes that a Web site may not be equipped to deliver in an online result set," explained Celko.
Thanksgiving Getaway: Abroad Deals and Hotel Steals
Nowadays vacation comes in such small doses that more and more people are forgoing the weekend pilgrimage home and using Thanksgiving time off to take a big trip.
This year the strengthening U.S. dollar and recent drop in airfares have made some previously cost-prohibitive international destinations affordable once again.
"Europe is a good value right now. With the dollar gaining on the euro, you can get can travel to Europe for significantly less than a few months ago," said Celko.
The best deals are typically hotel and airfare packages. Frommer recommends Icelandairusa.com, GoToday.com and Gate1Travel.com.
