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It’s almost Halloween and that always means one thing to me: Time for smart travelers to get a jump on the holidays! Check out TICKET editor Chris McGinnis’ outlook for holiday travel on CNN. (See full Q&A script below)
TICKET editor Chris McGinnis’ Holiday Travel Outlook
Here’s the full Q&A script for this segment for those of you who don’t want to or can’t watch the video. It includes much more info that what’s included in this one-minute segment.
TOPIC: Holiday Outlook
Q: Give me a general overview of what the holiday travel outlook looks like:
A: Holiday travel will be cheaper this year than last year if you book early. Not so much if you wait.
For example, Expedia data showed that average airfares around Thanksgiving are down about 17% back in Sept. Now, Bing Travel is saying that Thanksgiving fares are on the rise….up 6% compared to this time last year. So make you move.
Q: Why will there be lower fares?
A: Two reasons: less demand due to the ailing economy, and lower fuel costs for airlines, which helps keep fares low.
Q: What will be a good price for a domestic flight to a major city?
A: It depends on when and where you are flying.
Flights on the most popular days around Thanksgiving, such as the Tuesday or Wednesday before or the Sunday and Monday after are always more expensive.
If you must travel on those days, you should expect to pay at least 25% more than if you travel on less popular days.
Flights between major cities where there is low fare competition will be much cheaper than flights to smaller towns dominated by one or two airlines.
Q: What’s a price point travelers should keep in mind?
A: It depends on when and where you are flying and varies greatly, so it’s impossible to state.
Keep in mind that holiday travel is peak season travel, so while prices are lower than previous years, they are still going to be higher than any other time of year.
Q: What will be a good price for rental cars?
A: It depends on when and where you are renting a car.
Since business travel demand for rental cars is down during the holidays, rates tend to be lower than at other times of year.
Q: When should travelers book by in order to get deals?
A: The best time to book Christmas holiday trips is in mid-October—no later.
Q: What about flight delays?
A: Now that the airlines are flying fewer planes, airport congestion is less of a problem overall.
However, big hub airports like Atlanta and New York still have serious congestion issues.
Weather is always the wild card for delays during the holidays. If a snowstorm hits a major airline hub, delays are unavoidable.
Q: What’s the downside of this travel season?
A: Holiday season is peak season, and flights will be much fuller this year.
This means that if you miss your flight or your connection, the likelihood of getting on the next flight out is slim. You may end up having to wait a day or two.
Q: How can travelers avoid getting caught with no back up?
A: Pad your schedule and don’t be late for your flight this year.
If you miss your flight, you could end up waiting a day or two for the next available seat, which could ruin your holiday.
Q: What’s the bottom line for this holiday travel season?
A: Holiday travel will be cheaper than last year if you book your trips well ahead of time.
Airport congestion and flight delays will remain a problem at some big hub airports, but overall, airline on-time performance is improving.
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