If you don’t have travel plans for the holidays yet, there’s still time. And you might even find a bargain.
Nearly half of consumers surveyed by American Express plan to travel for family gatherings this holiday season, and 48% say they want to attend out-of-town holiday gatherings that they missed because of the pandemic.
It’s no surprise that airlines, vacation rentals and car rentals are running at full capacity during the holidays. One possible exception: Hotels.com reports searches on its app for hotel stays in popular Northwest cities are still 10% less in December compared to last year, which can be ideal for last-minute bookers who haven’t made their holiday plans yet.
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Holiday Guide 2022
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But even if you can find a ticket and a room, there’s the matter of traveling somewhere during this holiday season.
Inflation is running hot, pushing prices higher for everything from restaurant meals to hotel rooms. There’s the threat of airline strikes. And there are widespread fears that this holiday travel season could be one of the busiest ever.
“Holiday travel bookings are already outpacing pre-pandemic levels,” warns Rajeev Shrivastava, CEO of VisitorsCoverage.com, a travel insurance marketplace. “With the influx of travelers comes a greater chance that your trip will be canceled, delayed or otherwise disrupted.”
So what to do? This year, many travelers have made plans during Hanukkah and Christmas, and many are still considering them, according to experts. You can still find deals, but the longer you wait, the harder it gets. And with all the airline challenges, you should be prepared for anything.
Christmas is the big travel holiday in 2022
This year, Thanksgiving will be busy, but Christmas will be even busier. A survey by travel insurance company Faye finds 72% of Americans plan to travel for Thanksgiving, and 84% will be on the road for Christmas. New Year’s will be quieter, with only 58% planning to drive or fly somewhere.
When it comes to travel fears, Americans are thinking big, too. The No. 1 travel fear is a major natural disaster, like an epic blizzard. Almost 30% of travelers identified that as their top concern. COVID-19 is still on the list, with 23% naming it as their top worry.
If you’re planning to fly for your holiday trip, you’ll get the best prices and have the smallest crowds on the actual days of the various holidays — Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve, says Jon Stephens, director of operations at Snowshoe Vacation Rentals.
“The vast majority of people choose to fly in the days leading up to and following these days,” he says. “But airlines will often make ticket prices cheaper on the holidays themselves to encourage people to fly on those days and reduce airport traffic.”
What if you can’t avoid flying on the busier days? Stephens recommends that you steer clear of weekends, which are also hyperbusy during the holidays.
You might also want to avoid the most popular destinations. According to the latest Skyscanner data, the top destinations from the Seattle market are New York, Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida. Internationally, they’re London, Mumbai, India, and Tokyo.
Where can you still find bargains for holiday travel?
Melissa Dohmen, a Hotels.com spokesperson, says you’ll find deals in smaller cities outside of the peak holiday window.
“Try a last-minute visit to places with average hotel daily rates under $150 per night, such as Spokane, Boise and Idaho Falls,” she says.
For example, The Davenport Hotel Collection, a collection of upscale properties in Spokane, have winter rates that start at $129 a night.
Note, though, that waiting for a deal will not work if you have your sights set on a place like New York.
“Book your hotel stay as early as possible to get the best deal,” says Mandy Wilson, director of sales and marketing at Crowne Plaza HY36 Midtown Manhattan. “Prices do increase closer to arrival, especially during a time when New York City has a lot to offer, such as the Rockefeller Tree Lighting and Shopper’s Week at the start of December.”
Timing is important, but escaping high prices won’t be easy. Bus and train tickets are up to 23% cheaper on the Tuesday before Christmas, according to research by public transportation site Wanderu. But train tickets for the week before Christmas cost 51% more than last year.
Buckle up — it could be a wild ride!
If you’re jumping into the travel fray during the holidays, or are even thinking about it, be prepared for an unprecedented experience. The pilots at three airlines — American, Delta and United — have authorized strikes (as of Nov. 9). Airlines have failed to resolve many of the operational problems from this summer, including staffing challenges. That could lead to paralysis in the skies.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see headlines like ‘Chaos as Americans Travel for the Holidays’ in a few weeks’ time,” says Roger Broussard, the CEO of an air travel site.
He says demand for this holiday season is strong despite economic uncertainties. And even though airline executives have promised not to repeat this summer’s customer service meltdowns, which saw almost a quarter of flights delayed and nearly 3% of them canceled, he thinks all of the pieces are in place for a debacle of even bigger proportions.
Broussard’s advice? Drive.
Harding Bush, manager of security operations for GlobalRescue, agrees that things could get chaotic. He recommends booking a nonstop flight if possible. “The flight might still get canceled or delayed, but a delay will have less impact if you don’t have a connecting flight to catch,” he says.
But whatever you do, don’t wait until the last minute to make travel arrangements.
“Waiting until the last minute has been a trend in the last year,” says Angela Borden, a product strategist for Seven Corners. “But this year, it may result in more travelers facing sold-out flights or paying more for the seats that remain.”
So the bottom line for holiday travel this year is this: It could be rough, but it could be even worse if you wait until the last minute to book. Buy your tickets and book your hotel rooms now — or wait until January and let the madness of the 2022 holiday season die down. It’s a much more calm time to travel, anyway.
Christopher Elliott
is the chief advocacy officer for Elliott Advocacy. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help with any consumer problem by contacting him at elliott.org/help.
