SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The holidays are a great time to get together with family and friends, but that can be difficult when you’re traveling.
The Christmas period is usually a time of high travel demand and soaring prices, despite the pandemic-induced travel boom, but prices this year are down 13% compared to last year.
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Airfares increased 42.9% from September 2021 to September 2022, but fell about 13% from October 2022 to October 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Consumer Price Index.
But even though prices are lower this year, you can still follow these smart tips to get through the holiday season.
Book your flights early
This might be an obvious tip, but it’s always important to remember to book your flights as early as possible.
The average airfare for Christmas travel is $400 round trip, down about 12% from last year but still 30% higher than the same period in 2019, according to Hopper data.
With prices rising due to inflation, 41% of holiday planners are very worried about how they will afford the trips they’ve already planned. With Christmas approaching, demand for holiday travel will increase and fuel prices will rise, so Hopper recommends buying your tickets early.
To reduce stress and predict the best time, the earlier the better. Travel apps like Hopper and Google Flights can help you predict the best time to board a flight.
Travel on holiday
The most popular days to travel are Fridays and weekends.
Get off work early and go on a holiday trip to escape the stress and hustle and bustle of the holidays.
Traveling during the week tends to be cheaper, and around the holidays it’s a good idea to avoid the Sundays before and after Thanksgiving.
Sometimes it can be cheaper to travel on holidays.
Find a nearby airport
If you’re traveling to a major city like New York, Atlanta, or Chicago, there are multiple airports to choose from.
Even if the airport you want to go to is a little closer, it’s worth looking at other airports to see if the prices aren’t as high.
It’s worth researching secondary airports that serve the areas you plan to travel to, especially on the holidays.
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Use Google Flights’ Explore feature
If you’re not sure where you’ll travel during your vacation but want to plan a trip somewhere, Google Flights’ “Explore” feature is a useful tool.
Their website showcases popular destinations with the cheapest airfares anywhere.
The Explore feature lets you search for specific dates or flexible dates within a particular month. Google Flights also lets you set fare alerts to find out when ticket prices are dropping or rising.
Make the most of your travel rewards
Traveling can earn you a lot of points and miles, but the best time to use them is during vacation.
According to Nerd Wallet data, an analysis based on data from 18 airlines shows that the airlines with the highest per-mile rates are American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Southwest Airlines, averaging 1.5 cents per mile.
If you’ve traveled a lot in the past year, you might want to save up some travel points or miles to use on a flight for a vacation.
Book your airport parking spot early
If you’re flying over the Christmas period, you might find yourself leaving your car at the airport. To save yourself the stress and time of navigating airport car parks and garages, it’s best to book parking in advance.
Locally, Syracuse Hancock International Airport announced in November that it would build three new surface parking lots to expand SYR’s parking capacity by about 900 spaces as part of the first phase of SYR’s landside/parking re-envisioning.
Central New York residents are encouraged to pre-reserve parking on the airport’s parking website, and travelers looking to find parking on the day or by car can also check parking availability on the website.
Travelers with questions about what they can and can’t do through TSA security checkpoints are encouraged to use the agency’s popular social media accounts, “Ask TSA,” on Facebook and Twitter. twitter.
Click here for more information on the 29 destinations served by nonstop flights from Syracuse.
Airport destination page.
