Best Tips for Booking Domestic and Holiday Travel

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 – potentially for the first time in many months.

Here are some of The Points Guy’s top tips for booking domestic flights or making holiday travel plans this year.

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 Christmas – can lead to increased prices, but locking in your plans early can cut those costs noticeably.

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. 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. 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 new reservations roughly 11 months in advance, so you can start your research far ahead of your desired travel dates. You may not want to book that far in advance, but 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.

Another important tip for booking domestic flights or holiday travel is to be choosy when it comes to the credit card you use. Here at The Points Guy, we’re big on maximizing rewards on airfare, so look for a card that will earn you bonus points when booking flights. 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 only mishandled roughly four bags for every 1,000 passengers they flew in 2020,¹ 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. 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. 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.