Best Tips for Booking Domestic and Holiday Travel
6 Min Read | Published: July 5, 2024
Booking flights can be tricky, especially during busy seasons like the holidays. Careful planning, using the right credit card, and being flexible can help ease the process.
At-A-Glance
- If you want to fly during popular times, it’s critical to plan your trips months in advance.
- Booking a flight with the right credit card can earn rewards and cover your trip against certain things that could go wrong.
- Flexibility – in booking, when the schedule changes, or even on your day of departure – can go a long way toward easing the stress of flying.
If I had a nickel for every time a friend or family member asked me, “When’s the best time to book my flight?” I’d have – well, a lot of nickels. Whether you’re planning a winter vacation, summer getaway, or holiday trip to see loved ones, timing can be a critical factor.
That said, there’s a lot more that goes into finding that perfect flight than just when to book it. How can you make sure you’re getting the best price? What’s the best option for payment? And can you protect yourself if something should go wrong?
There’s no easy answer to any of these questions, but there are some simple, concrete steps you can take if you’re planning to take to the skies.
Here are some top tips for booking domestic flights or making holiday travel plans this year.
Plan Ahead – Especially for the Holidays
The well-known saying “the early bird catches the worm” can easily apply to making travel plans, especially when it comes to booking flights around the holidays. Higher demand for popular dates – like the Sunday after Thanksgiving or the few days before Christmas1,2 – can lead to increased prices, but locking in your plans early can cut those costs.
And even if you’re not ready to commit to purchasing a flight, there are still ways for the savvy consumer to keep costs down.
One of my favorite ways to do so is by using price comparison tools that offer a quick snapshot of the available flight options for your dates.3 These tools often offer customer-friendly planning features like:
- Various filters for narrowing down your search results.
- Price comparisons across different dates.
- The ability to receive email notifications when prices change for specific itineraries.
The last functionality is potentially the most valuable, as you’ll receive an email when the price drops on any flights you’ve flagged.3 This can also help show you trends on the routes you want to take, empowering you to decide the best time to book.
The major airlines in the U.S. typically open up their schedules for reservations months in advance, so you can start your research far ahead of your desired travel dates. The earlier you can begin planning your potential flight itinerary, the better equipped you’ll be to pull the trigger when the price hits an affordable spot.3
Use the Right Credit Card
Another important tip for booking domestic flights or holiday travel is to be choosy when it comes to the credit card you use. Look for a card that will earn you bonus points when booking flights.4 Some even offer up to 5x rewards on these purchases, which can go a long way toward future trips.
However, that’s not the only thing to look for when choosing a credit card for your flights.
Airline schedules are generally reliable, but sometimes things can go wrong. Weather issues – especially around the winter holidays – can snarl an airline’s operations, and if you miss a connecting flight, you may be stranded overnight.
And while the major U.S. airlines mishandled only around six bags for every 1,000 passengers they flew in 2023,5 it can still be an inconvenience to reach your destination with no luggage.
Fortunately, many top travel credit cards offer valuable protections when these issues occur. Trip delay coverage can reimburse you for additional expenses incurred during a lengthy delay, while baggage insurance may cover any loss or damage to your bags during the trip.6 However, you must use the applicable card for the flight in order for these protections to apply.
Finally, it’s critical to consider any ancillary costs associated with your trip – be it bag fees or the price of seat assignments. Fortunately, some credit cards – including specific airline credit cards – may offer a free checked bag for you and a certain number of companions, as long as you use the card to book the flight and include your loyalty program number at booking.7 Similarly, other cards provide annual statement credits to cover these fees – again, as long as the checked bag fee is charged to your card account.
And then, of course, consider whether you and your family would benefit from airport lounge access prior to your flight – a valuable perk on some premium credit cards.7
Be Flexible
A final tip for booking domestic and holiday travel involves flexibility. There’s a reason why airfare is so expensive during certain times of the year. Airlines know that many travelers will pay a premium for flights on specific dates to or from popular destinations.
And if you’re one of them, that’s understandable.
However, the more flexible you can be in your travel plans, the more you can save.8
In some situations, you may want to include a one-night stay at an airport hotel prior to departure. For example, instead of taking the last flight out on Friday, consider staying that night at or near the airport and booking the first flight on Saturday morning. Not only might that flight be cheaper, but it may also save you from spending that Friday night at your expensive resort.
And with the popularity of leisure markets like Hawaii and Florida, you may want to be flexible with your actual destination – as I personally found with a summer trip to Twin Falls, Idaho.8
Remember too that, once your flight is ticketed, your work isn’t necessarily finished. An airline may change its flight schedule, allowing you to rebook to a better, more convenient route. And given the shift away from change and cancellation fees, you may be able to adjust your itinerary to an alternate flight or date if your plans change – without paying a fee.
In fact, if the price drops on your existing itinerary, some airlines may allow you to rebook those exact same flights and will give you a future travel voucher for the difference between what you originally paid and the new price. As an example, on my trip to Idaho, the price of our Delta flight dropped by $80 per person about a month after booking. I rebooked the exact same itinerary, and we each received an $80 voucher that we can use on a future trip.
Being flexible also rings true when your departure date arrives. While you hope for a seamless, stress-free travel experience, that’s not always the case. There’s nothing you can do to control the weather, nor can you help it if the plane you’re supposed to fly is suddenly pulled out of service. Understand that things can go wrong with some aspects of your trip – but be prepared to roll with those issues and make the best of them.
The Takeaway
Booking a trip can be a bit like doing Double Dutch. It’s hard to know for sure when to jump in and book the flight. Fortunately, there are some key things you can do as you book domestic flights or look ahead to your holiday travels. While planning ahead and being flexible are critical, it’s also a good idea to include at least one travel credit card in your wallet to help make your flights more rewarding and – ideally – less stressful.
2 “2023 TSA checkpoint travel numbers,” TSA
3 “How to Save Money on Flights,” Experian
4 “How Do Travel Credit Cards Work?,” Experian
5 “February 2024 Air Travel Consumer Report,” U.S. Department of Transportation
6 “What Is Credit Card Travel Insurance?,” Experian
7 “12 Benefits to Look for in an Airline Credit Card,” Experian
8 “How to Save Money on a Vacation,” Experian
Nick Ewen started contributing to The Points Guy in 2012 and is now a Senior Editor. He spent over a decade as a road warrior, earning and redeeming points & miles to visit over 40 countries across six continents. He lives in Florida with his wife and daughter.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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The material made available for you on this website, Credit Intel, is for informational purposes only and intended for U.S. residents and is not intended to provide legal, tax or financial advice. If you have questions, please consult your own professional legal, tax and financial advisors.
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