Travel Tips

Holiday Deals and Steals on CNN’s Your Bottom Line

Locations in this article:  London, England Miami, FL New York City, NY

CNN logoAlthough prices are going up, it’s not too late to find travel deals this holiday season! Peter appeared on CNN’s Your Bottom Line this weekend to share some steals and deals this holiday season.

As you may have heard, Peter’s philosophy is that Thanksgiving is the obligatory dysfunctional family get-together, and traveling on the Wednesday before the holiday is just asking for trouble.

The same deal goes for Christmas vacation.

If you travel on Thanksgiving morning and return on Friday or Saturday, NOT Sunday, you’ll save yourself a significant chunk of money. Travel on Christmas Eve or even Christmas Day, and you’ll have the plane to yourself.

Or you can go truly contrarian and celebrate the holidays in Europe! British Airways is practically putting the whole world on sale. Book by November 19 for travel between November 17-March 28, excluding December 21-23 for airfare and package trips. Rates start from $229 per person, each way from New York’s JFK to London’s Heathrow, and from $659 round-trip with a three-night hotel stay. www.BritishAirways.com

Learn more: Holiday Travel Forecast 2009: How To Get the Best Deals.

TurkeyIf spending the night with your family is too much, remember that Hotels.com has launched its annual Thanksgiving sale. Book by November 26, and travelers can save up to 30 percent on stays November 23 – 30, 2009. Sample rates from November 27-29, 2009 include New York City’s The Times Hotel from $263 a night, the Grand Hyatt, San Antonio from $111.75 a night, and the Fairmont Scottsdale from $174.30 per night. www.Hotels.com/thanksgivingsale

Or skip the turkey dinner altogether and take a cruise! It’s a buyer’s market in the cruise industry, and the deals just keep on coming. For example, check out Norwegian Cruise Line’s three-day Bahamas cruise from Miami, from $159 per person November 20-23 and from $129 per person November 27-30. Travel between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and rates are still as low as $139-$199 per person.

NCL’s seven-day Western Caribbean cruise from Miami starts from only $249 departing November 29. Prices go up as we get closer to Christmas, but if history is any guide, last-minute cruise deals will be available. www.NCL.com

Click here to read the rush transcript of Your Bottom Line.

Find out: Holiday Travel Forecast 2009: How To Get the Best Deals