Americans everywhere cut back on spending, and we have no doubt that many of you will cut back or even eliminate your travel this holiday season. But, we also know that these vacations and family visits are special, and millions of Americans will hit the road despite the economy.  

If you are planning air travel this holiday season, be prepared to pay more, deal with crowded planes and very little service. 

Most of the major airlines have now added "peak travel day surcharges" to more than a dozen heavy travel days now through May.  Continental and American both added surcharges of up to $30 (that's each way if both dates are "peak" dates!) this week. 

In other words, the airlines know you want to travel on these important dates, so they figure they can get away with charging you as much as they possibly can! 

That combined with the ridiculous fuel surcharge fees (which didn't go down when fuel prices did), baggage fees, fewer flights and extra fees for just about anything you can think of (drinks, blankets, etc.) add up to higher costs this holiday travel season.

The fee-happy airlines aren't going to help you travel cheaper, but we will! Here are a number of time-tested travel tips sure to help you reduce stress during the year's busiest travel season while helping you get the most for your money. (Actually, many of these tips are useful all year long!)

Finding Low Airfares

• Alert! Be sure to sign up with individual airlines that you like prefer for "alerts" to be e-mailed directly to you. Some very nice deals are posted with little or no notice.



• Book early and consider off-peak travel times. If you are able, travel on Thanksgiving Day when the traffic is the lightest. The return crowd is the lightest the very next day. We know that shortens the trip, but it may be worth considering for the time, stress and money that it will save you.
  
  Be aware that the weekend before Christmas is typically the most expensive of the year. Fly on the Tuesday before Christmas or the day after Christmas for, generally, the best airfare deals.



• Use the Internet! Start watching airfares online today to get a good idea of what the airlines are offering. We recommend that you check TWICE per week, as fares frequently change. There are many excellent websites to shop around for best fares, but two of our favorites are www.bestfares.com and www.orbitz.com. Check Best Fares on Wednesdays for "Internet only" fares in the late afternoon.
  
  Dolan Straight Talk Tip: Also check the airlines' websites right after midnight (or call, if you're awake!) any day of the week when many airlines update their availabilities and cancel some reservations held until that time. Weekend specials are often posted after midnight on Thursday on their websites.

Next: How to Lower Your Stress When Traveling

Page 1 2 3 Next »