To save on holiday travel act now

The holidays are just around the corner, and you’d better get cracking if you haven’t yet booked your flight home to have turkey and pumpkin pie with the family.

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s are among the busiest travel periods of the year, and with the crowds come more competition for good fares and longer lines at the airport.

While fares are up slightly for the holidays this year compared to last, bargains can still be found. But you must act now, air-travel experts say.

Here are some tips to help you save money, time and hassle when you hit the road:

Check out fares online

There are legions of travel Web sites for consumers who are looking for the best deals. Start with some of the more popular sites, such as Travelocity.com, Orbitz.com, Kayak.com, Expedia.com, Lowestfare.com and Cheaptickets.com.

Also, don’t forget to go to the airline’s own sites, where you can sometimes find the cheapest fares by buying directly from the company.

Be flexible about when you travel

You can save hundreds of dollars if you don’t have to travel on the most popular holiday travel days.

“For Thanksgiving, varying the date of return makes the most difference,” said John Rauser of Farecast.com, a fare-predictor site that analyzes thousands of historic fare prices to predict what future prices will be.

George Hobica, a travel writer for 20 years and the creator of Airfarewatchdog.com, an airfare listing site, recommends using the one- to three-day search option when checking for fares on Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com or Kayak.com to see where the most savings occur.

Sign up for fare alerts

There are a number of sites that will send you an e-mail message when the price is lowered on a flight you register for. Some good ones are Yapta.com, Bestfares.com and Farecompare.com, according to Hobica, whose Airfarewatchdog.com also tracks fares.

Not all of these sites track the same criteria or include the same airlines, though, so you may want to register for more than one when starting out.

“Farecompare.com tracks millions of fares and will let you compare a specific route, but it doesn’t have Southwest Airlines, or some smaller discount airlines that only sell tickets on their own sites,” Hobica said. “And Yapta.com only works with 10 airlines.”

Consider traveling on the holiday

If you are willing to gamble on availability, airlines often have cheaper seats on the actual days of the holidays.

“I’ve traveled on Christmas Eve and found the flight empty,” said Jerry Chandler, a travel blogger for Cheapflights.com who teaches at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.

Things happen, and if you find yourself at the last minute having to fly on a peak holiday travel day, don’t despair. Airlines always reserve a bucket of “walk-up” tickets, but be prepared to pay full fare, Chandler said.

Cut down on airport stress

You can print out your boarding pass and reserve your seats before you leave the house – up to 24 hours before you board your flight – and head directly to the security line if you check your bags with a skycap, said Chandler.

He also recommends checking out the “travelers” section of the Transportation Security Administration Web site (www.tsa.gov) to find the current standards for carry-on and prohibited items.

TSA’s basic guidance for carry-on liquids is “3-1-1.” That means you can carry 3 ounces of any liquid or gel in a one quart plastic bag, but only one bag is allowed per traveler.

Also, remember you are going through a metal detector when you dress for your trip. The TSA recommends you avoid wearing metal to the extent possible in your clothing, jewelry or accessories, even in the form of metal buttons or snaps, belt buckles and underwire bras.

Also, when choosing your shoes, remember you will be taking them off at a security checkpoint, so avoid those knee-high lace-up boots. Chandler also suggests you keep your shoes on until the last possible moment while waiting in line to protect your feet.

“I was going through security at Reagan Airport and got my toe broken when someone behind me pushed me last year,” he said.

If all else fails, drive

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, most people, about 91 percent, do their long-distance holiday travel in their own vehicles.

Just like with flying, though, you can save yourself time and money by traveling at off-peak times. The day before Thanksgiving is the most heavily traveled day of the year, said Michele Mount, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Automobile Club of America, who also offered a few tips for drivers.

“You want to drive with plenty of sleep. Drowsy driving is a problem that many people underestimate,” Mount said.

“If you are traveling with children, you should check on what the laws for child seats are because they may be different than what you are used to.

“And most important, pack a lot of patience. The holidays are a wonderful time of year, and you don’t want to let a traffic accident mar them.”