Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84GoodLifeFamilyMag.com NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2016 27 goodTO GO AIRLINE TICKET SHOPPING TIPS • Shop now: If you plan to travel for Thanksgiving, there’s not a moment to waste and you can also buy December holiday tickets now. Do not expect last-minute deals; the once-common bargains no longer exist. Shop immediately. • Figure out your travel dates: Cheapest days to fly during festive periods are almost always the holiday itself, and if you can take off early on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day, you won’t miss much (plus the airports will be super-easy to navigate). • Compare fares: Always compare ticket prices which means going to an airfare search site and comparing those fares with Southwest’s (the only airline that doesn’t share its price data). No single carrier always has the best prices so if you don’t compare, you could miss out on substantial savings. • Look at connecting flights: If you can spare the time for a longer flight (and the kids are up for a longer day), compare prices for connecting flights vs. non-stops; often, the flight with a stop is cheaper (and sometimes it’s a lot cheaper). • Set airfare alerts: Especially for Christmas or New Year’s travel. This is a very simple process that takes just seconds.Ifyoulikeadealyou’realerted to, act fast because you’re not the only one doing this. Visit farecompare. com to set airfare alerts. IS IT CHEAPER TO DRIVE? The short answer is a qualified “probably,” but there’s more at stake here than the cost of filling your gas tank. Compare airfare prices with the cost of your time + energy (long drives take something out of most of us), then factor in the cost of burning an extra day or two of vacation for drive-time. Don’t forget the mental strain: How many times can you answer that favorite kiddie question, “Are we there yet?” SAVING ON BAGGAGE (CONSOLIDATE) • You can save depending on how you pack, and this is definitely a case of less is more. • Carry-on bags: Use smaller hand luggage and you’ll typically save $50 round-trip per person on baggage fees for checked-bags. Bonus: Carry-on bags don’t get lost. • Checked-bags: If you travel Southwest, you get two bags for free, but you won’t be able to avoid the wait at the baggage carousel; in other words, big bags can create delays. • When the airlines charge for all bags, Allegiant, Frontier, and Spirit charge forchecked-bagsandcarry-ons–check their prices carefully because fees for carry-ons can be more expensive than checked-bag fees. However, Spirit does allow a small bag (that fits under a seat) for free; see their website for dimensions as well as an informative how-to packing video for little bags. IF YOU JUST WANT TO GET AWAY If you aren’t obligated to visit family during the holidays but just want to take a trip, here’s a couple of ways to save: • Look for cheaper cities: We’ve been seeing good deals to Boston, Denver, even New York and Washington, D.C. out of Dallas-Ft. Worth and Love Field. Cheaper destinations in Europe include Scandinavian countries, Dublin, and more. Choose travel dates carefully: Generally, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday are the cheapest for domestic flights while weekdays are best for international flights, however the holidays don’t follow all the usual travel rules. • Look for hub-to-hub hops: If you’re looking for a simple trip, check out shorter flights to big airports like Houston, New Orleans, or maybe Ft. Lauderdale. Competitive routes like these are usually less affected by the big jumps in holiday pricing. GET MORE OF RICK’S TIPS AT FARECOMPARE.COM OR @RICKSEANEY If you can spare the time for a longer flight (and the kids are up for a longer day), compare prices for connecting flights vs. non- stops; often, the flight with a stop is cheaper (and sometimes it’s a lot cheaper). See the How-ToVideo for Packing Small Bags at Marketing.Spirit.com. Set Up Airfare Alerts at Farecompare.com