Iowans who are planning to fly off to visit far-flung friends or family for Thanksgiving need to get their travel dates lined up in the next week or so — if not sooner. Rose White, at Triple-A-Iowa, says many flights are filling up and prices are climbing.  “Capacity rates right now are already higher than what they were a year ago, meaning, fewer seats are available because many people have already booked their vacations,” White says. “It is important to take advantage, if you can, of at least 14-day advance reservations to obtain better price rates.”

When demand is high, like during four-day holiday weekends, the airlines know premium prices can be charged for fares. “Very few will have discounted rates unless you travel on the holiday itself,” White says. “If you travel on Thanksgiving Day, you should be able to find better rates as well as many seats available.”

White says the hardest flights to get will be on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after. Even if you book 14 or more days out, she says ticket prices are higher this November.  “They are up about 6-8% compared to a year ago, so it’s important to keep that in mind when booking your travel,” White says. “Of course, if you can book in advance, you’ll also be able to receive lower rates.”

Triple-A reports more than 3.14-million Americans flew somewhere during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday and the numbers are expected to be up this year.  

(Radio Iowa)