IDAHO — If you're bracing yourself for holiday travel headaches, you aren't alone. Whether you're planning to go wheels up on the tarmac, or you'll be hitting the highway, holiday travel can be exhausting and expensive. That's why we're looking at the best ways to make heading home for the holidays as easy as possible this year.
Fying over the holiday weeks is something few people look forward to.
"Probably this year it will be a little more hectic because everyone will be back out and about!" said one commuter.
If it's not the crowds, it's a number of other things.
"Delays, getting stuck, cold, all the things," said an airline passenger.
Jen Bullam has had several bad experiences.
"Well you have to assume your flights are gonna take off, maybe not have mechanical issues, maybe not be delayed," said passenger Jen Bullam.
"After last year's travel meltdowns from various airlines, travelers are justifiably nervous," said The Points Guy's Director of Travel Content Eric Rosen.
Rosen says airlines have been working hard to avoid a repeat of last year, but if you're waiting until the last minute to book, don't.
"Prices are not going to go down. You will not find any magical sales happening," said Rosen.
If you want to monitor deals, Eric suggests services like Google Flights or Hopper, and picking days to fly that are less popular.
"Flexibility is always the key to finding the best deals," said Rosen.
If you're hitting the road instead, you aren't alone.
"A good chunk of people are intending to drive this year," said Nerdwallet Travel Expert Sally French.
She says there are a lot of ways to save money filling up your gas tank.
"One of the best ways that you could really save gas is simply by avoiding traveling during those high traffic times," said French.
Next, avoid pulling into the easiest option and use a savings app like Gas Buddy.
"You can then go to your map and find the nearest cheapest gas price for you," said French.
Beyond that, you can see if paying cash for your gas will earn you a discount, all ways to make your holiday travel pain free.
