Essential Travel Tips for the Holidays From Cheapflights.ca

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - Nov 22, 2016) -  Instead of a joyful season filled with peace and goodwill, the holidays can feel like an endless loop of shopping, socializing and rushing around. Add in some holiday travel, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed. However, with a little planning and some savvy, you can save time, money, and most importantly, your sanity. After all, the more ways you can be prepared for the unexpected delays, airport line-ups, and gift transportation hiccups, the better you will feel once you arrive. 

To help maintain your holiday cheer when you take to the air during the busiest time of the year, the travel experts at Cheapflights.ca, the champions of simple travel search, have pulled together 30 tips and tricks in their Holiday Season Travel Survival Guide. The guide features tips on saving while booking for the high season, cutting down on baggage fees, getting precious gifts safely through airport security and both packing and navigating an airport like a pro.

Below is a sampling of items from the sections on "booking tips," "packing tips" and "travelling with gifts":

Booking tips:

• Do your research. Just like you would for holiday gifts, shop around for flights. Compare prices to see what's out there, but if you find an exceptional deal, jump on it. Airlines must offer you the chance to hold a price or cancel a purchase on any non-refundable ticket bought at least seven days in advance for 24 hours after purchase. Use that time to see if there are any better deals out there or to give yourself peace of mind that you found a great deal.
• Consider alternatives. Be flexible wherever you can, whether it's with your travel dates, departure and/or arrival airport, or destination. If you're heading home for the holidays, for example, your destination may be set in stone, but can you fly a few days early, or perhaps on the actual holiday, to save? Is it cheaper to fly into a nearby airport rather than the one in a major city? Considering all your options can save you money, but it can also save you the stress of holiday crowds.

Packing tips:

• Bring an extra (empty) bag. For gifts you receive, bring a folded up duffel bag so you have the option of packing gifts to go. If you can get away with one checked bag and one carry-on on the return, it might be the most affordable way to get your holiday bounty home.
• Pack a snack. Long lines at airport restaurants and shops means you could be waiting a long time to grab some grub. Pack your own snacks to get you through layovers, delays and the flight. Plus, it's typically cheaper than buying food at the airport.

Travelling with gifts:

• Ship gifts, don't pack them. Packing gifts in your luggage often forces you to check bags at the airport and also takes up valuable suitcase space. Skip the hassle and ship Christmas presents ahead of time so they'll be there when you arrive.
• Don't wrap gifts. If you do bring Christmas gifts with you when you travel, just remember to save the wrapping until you arrive so you and your luggage can get through the security screening. Security will likely need to unwrap the gifts to inspect them.

The guide also has sections with tips for "before you leave the house," "navigating the airport," and "more holiday reading." Suggestions include carrying sanitizer to protect against airport germs; buying last-minute gifts in duty-free; charging devices before you leave the house; keeping a list of important phone numbers in case of delays; leaving earlier than you normally do; and downloading helpful apps to stay on top of delays and other travel issues. Get advice that will help you stay in the spirit of the season with Cheapflights.ca's complete Holiday season travel survival guide at www.cheapflights.ca/news/holiday-season-travel-survival-guide.

About Cheapflights.ca, part of the Momondo Group
Founded in 1996, Cheapflights is a leading global flight comparison and deals publishing platform dedicated to taking the complexity out of finding the best value flights through the application of innovative, intuitive technologies: Smart search. Made simple. It is now a market leader in the UK, US, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand generating more than C$4 billion in global downstream revenue for its partners as it expands into numerous other territories. More than 120 million users visit its websites and apps each year, receiving more than two billion search results a month from across 900,000 routes. The 10 million strong opt-in subscribers to the Cheapflights newsletter receive the best deals from more than 120 travel businesses -- for whom it has driven more than C$80 million in revenue this year. Together, the Cheapflights platforms generate enough bookings for its partners to fill a Boeing 747 every five minutes.

In 2011, Cheapflights became part of the privately owned online travel search and inspiration network, Momondo Group.

Follow us on:
Twitter: twitter.com/cheapflights
Facebook: facebook.com/cheapflights
Instagram: instagram.com/cheapflights
Pinterest: pinterest.com/cheapflights