Surprise: Holiday Travel Will Be Expensive

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

See recent posts by Carl Unger

With Labor Day fading in the rearview mirror, it’s officially time to worry about holiday travel, and experts are predicting an expensive season. The first such prognostication comes from Farecast, which, according to the AP, is expecting a 31 percent increase for Thanksgiving fares compared to last year, and a 30 percent increase for Christmas.

Given that 2008 has been dominated by fare hikes, new fees, and capacity cuts, it should surprise no one that travel around the holidays—the busiest time of the year to fly domestically—will be pricey. Travelers who need to fly home should stick to the conventional holiday-travel wisdom of flying on off-peak days (for example, traveling home on Thanksgiving Day and returning the Monday or Tuesday after). Farecast also notes that Christmas fares often drop during the first few weeks of October, so keep an eye out around that time.

Have you booked your flight home yet? Are you looking at fares, and can’t believe your eyes? Leave a comment below and share your experience and any tips you have.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.