The Best Between the Holiday Deals

Traveling In Between the Big Ones

Thanksgiving is the busiest travel time of the year. The weeks around Christmas and New Year?s Eve are right behind Thanksgiving. Why? Obviously visiting family is a big priority and also, because we have time off from work, those are the perfect days to plan vacations.

However, if you want to travel on a budget, because fewer people travel those weeks in between, those are the times you can find some really nice deals. So, here are a few examples just to get you searching for deals that will be nice for you.

Los Angeles (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL)

Departing Friday December 3rd and returning Tuesday December 7th, roundtrip, $409 ? Expedia.com (multiple airlines.) Look, even Los Angeles can be cloudy and if you want to keep the summer feeling going, you can choose to head off to middle of the Pacific and go back to enjoying sun and seventy degrees for a few more days. In comparison, on the same search, leaving on Thursday the 16th of December and returning the 20th, it was $794.

Chicago-Midway to Ft. Lauderdale

Why not head south?

Departing Saturday December 4th and returning Wednesday December 8th, roundtrip, $270 ? Southwest.com. I don?t need to tell Chicago natives that the winter is already long upon them and watching the Bears play the Lions in Detroit from the comfort of a beach bar in Fort Lauderdale instead of in a bar while it is blustery and grey outside would be much better. By comparison, leaving Friday, December 17th and returning Tuesday December 21st to enjoy the Bears playing in Minnesota on Monday night football would be at least $408.

New York (JFK) to Austin, TX (AUS)

Departing Friday December 3rd and returning Tuesday December 7th, roundtrip, $295 ? Expedia.com (Jet Blue and American Airlines.) Maybe you?ve always wanted to check out the music scene of Austin, TX. Then again, maybe you just want to spend the weekend at the Alamo Drafthouse, drinking beer, watching the season finale of ?The Walking Dead,? or maybe watching ?Die Hard? on the big screen, all the while knowing that Austin in December is much better than New York. (Looking at the calendar for JFK to Austin, it?s not until the Saturday before Christmas that the price jumps up. Thanks JetBlue!)

Chicago-O?Hare (ORD) to Denver (DEN)

Departing Friday December 3rd and returning Tuesday December 7th, roundtrip, $140 ? Expedia.com (United and American Airlines.) Maybe you don?t want to get warm. Maybe you want to hit the slopes and get in some skiing or snowboarding. You may not get fresh powder this early in the season, but some nice groomed runs to get your muscles back in the swing of things is never a bad idea, especially when you can go back to your hotel afterwords and just enjoy a nice soak in the hot tub. (The following weekend looks good for prices as well ? but the following week, the price doubles, which isn?t that bad. If you try the 26th though, you?re looking at $500.)

Philadelphia to Montego Bay, Jamaica

Departing Friday December 3rd and returning Tuesday December 7th, roundtrip, $474 ? American Airlines. Or maybe you don?t really know where or what you want to do, you just know you want to go someplace else before you have to spend a week with your family. This new toy on the American Airlines website lets you put in your departure city and a general idea (Adventure, Beach, Golf, Ski) and then you can pick from several alternatives and several prices. Now, that?s the way to take advantage of holiday prices without having to work too hard.