Flying This Thanksgiving? Here’s When to Leave and When to Return

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Are you still waiting to buy Thanksgiving airfare?

The good news is there are still deals to be had, depending on the days you fly.

Travel experts say your best chance at scoring a deal on a Thanksgiving flight is to avoid two days: Nov. 26 (the Wednesday before Thanksgiving) and Nov. 30 (the Sunday after Thanksgiving). According to airfare expert Rick Seaney in USA Today:

Don’t fly these dates because airfare-wise, they are the most expensive days of the year to fly. They also happen to be the year’s most popular travel days and that’s no coincidence; when people really want to travel, the airlines can and do charge what they want (at least until passengers cry “Uncle!” in the form of declining bookings).

According to Business Insider, CheapAir.com CEO Jeff Klee said you can save big bucks by scheduling your return flight on these days:

  • Friday, Nov. 28. You could save $178 on average.
  • Saturday, Nov. 29. $83 savings.
  • Monday, Dec. 1. $124 savings.
  • Tuesday, Dec. 2. $210 savings.

“Departure price differences aren’t as pronounced, you may be able to save an average of $11 by taking a flight on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving instead of Wednesday, or $45 by leaving as early as Monday,” Business Insider said.

Click here to access the CheapAir Holiday Cheap Flights Index.

Do you fly over the Thanksgiving holiday? If so, have you booked your tickets yet? Share your comments below or on our Facebook page.

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