Be flexible. If you have set dates that you are planning to travel, consider flying out a day before or a day after. If you can do that, you can potentially save a lot of money, especially if that day is around a holiday. Many online travel sites will show you the price for the date you selected and the price if you left on an alternative day.
Fly in the middle of the week. Mid-week flights are nearly always cheaper than the weekend, when everyone is trying to getaway. Mondays and Fridays are not good days because people typically leave on Friday and more people are now returning on Mondays to avoid the expensive Sunday fares. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, are typically the best bets for getting a cheap flight.
Fly out of an alternative airport. Sometimes the airport not closest to you has a better deal. If you live in Los Angeles, for instance, LAX is one of the busiest airports. You might find a better deal if you drive less than an hour away to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, a much smaller airport. Online airfare websites will often show you the price of your ticket if you chose alternative airport.
Book well in advance. This is always the absolute best way to guarantee that you are getting the lowest fare. Often we can't book ahead because of not being sure of the dates you can travel, but if can plan ahead, you will save a lot of money. If you fly Southwest and are not sure if you can travel yet, buy the ticket anyway. If you can't fly on the dates you bought the ticket for you can cancel the ticket at no charge and put the unused funds toward a different flight.
Fly on the actual holiday if you can. The day before a holiday is usually the worst time to fly, as many want to fly on that day and you are much less likely to get a good deal, especially if you don't book far in advance. Particularly for Thanksgiving, expect to pay a heavy price for flying on the Wednesday before. Your best bet is to fly on Thanksgiving morning. The airport won't be crowded, and the ticket will be far cheaper.
