How to save money, How to find cheap flights for 2021 holiday travel, With feedback from seasoned travel pros, here’s what to know about holiday travel before you book.
- Now is the time to book flights for 2021 holiday travel, experts say.
- Flight cancellation policies are still lenient and deals are available to many destinations.
Book your holiday flights now
With uncertainties surrounding COVID and travelers seeking low prices, some may be inclined to wait on booking any holiday travel.
But Scott’s Cheap Flights founder Scott Keyes urges travelers to book holiday flights as soon as possible to get the best prices on airfare.
Don’t wait on rental cars either if you need transportation once you land
Don’t wait on booking a rental car either if you’ll need one. A shortage in companies’ fleets sent rental car prices soaring earlier in the pandemic and severely limited availability. Now that crunch has eased a bit, but demand during the peak holiday season could see a spike in the prices again.
Plan to pay more for domestic flights, and less for international trips
While demand for travel soared this summer as COVID cases plunged in the US, the rise of the Delta variant has reduced traveler appetite for international travel, Keyes said. “People’s interest and demand for traveling overseas are still significantly diminished from where it was pre-pandemic,” he said. “By most estimates, it’s still down over 60 percent.”
That means if you feel comfortable traveling abroad, you’ll find good deals if you book ASAP, with the best prices around Thanksgiving.
Before booking, check for flexible airline policies and consider travel insurance
With the rise of the Delta variant, many airlines loosened cancellation rules to lure travelers to commit. In general, hotels, airlines, and other bookings across the travel industry expect to encounter cancellation policies that are better than they were pre-COVID but are not as flexible as last year.
On major airlines like Delta flight Booking and United Airlines Booking, Cancellation fees are paused as of the time of writing and, according to Keyes, it will stay that way through the holiday period.
‘World’s best airline’ for 2021 revealed by Skytrax
The World’s Top 10 Airlines of 2021 |
The World’s Best Cabin Staff 2021 |
||
| 1 | Qatar Airways | 1 | Singapore Airlines |
| 2 | Singapore Airlines | 2 | ANA All Nippon Airways |
| 3 | ANA All Nippon Airways | 3 | Thai Airways |
| 4 | Emirates | 4 | Garuda Indonesia |
| 5 | Japan Airlines | 5 | Japan Airlines |
| 6 | Cathay Pacific Airways | 6 | Hainan Airlines |
| 7 | EVA Air | 7 | EVA Air |
| 8 | Qantas Airways | 8 | Asiana Airlines |
| 9 | Hainan Airlines | 9 | Cathay Pacific Airways |
| 10 | Air France | 10 | Qatar Airways |
| Call ✆ Reservations Team:(877) 681-0056 | |||
The Best Airlines in North America 2021 |
The Best Airlines in South America 2021 |
||
| 1 | Delta Air Lines | 1 | LATAM |
| 2 | JetBlue Airways | 2 | Azul Airlines |
| 3 | Air Canada | 3 | JetSmart |
| 4 | Southwest Airlines | 4 | Avianca |
| 5 | WestJet | 5 | Sky Airline |
| 6 | Air Transat | 6 | Aerolineas Argentinas |
| 7 | United Airlines | 7 | Easyfly |
| 8 | Alaska Airlines | 8 | Gol |
| 9 | Hawaiian Airlines | 9 | StarPeru |
| 10 | American Airlines | 10 | Viva Air |
| Call ✆ Reservations Team:(877) 681-0056 | |||
The World’s Cleanest Airline Cabins 2021 |
The Best Airlines in C America / Caribbean 2021 |
||
| 1 | ANA All Nippon Airways | 1 | Copa Airlines |
| 2 | Singapore Airlines | 2 | Caribbean Airlines |
| 3 | Japan Airlines | 3 | Air Caraibes |
| 4 | Qatar Airways | 4 | Bahamasair |
| 5 | EVA Air | 5 | LIAT |
| 6 | Cathay Pacific Airways | 6 | interCaribbean |
| 7 | Asiana Airlines | 7 | Cayman Airways |
| 8 | Korean Air | 8 | Cubana |
| 9 | Hainan Airlines | 9 | Suriname Airways |
| 10 | Swiss International Air Lines | 10 | Aruba Airlines |
| Call ✆ Reservations Team:(877) 681-0056 | |||
The World’s Best Low-Cost Airlines 2021 |
The Best Airlines in Western Europe 2021 |
||
| 1 | AirAsia | 1 | Air France |
| 2 | Southwest Airlines | 2 | British Airways |
| 3 | Scoot | 3 | Lufthansa |
| 4 | Vueling Airlines | 4 | KLM Royal Dutch Airlines |
| 5 | IndiGo | 5 | Swiss International Air Lines |
| 6 | EasyJet | 6 | Virgin Atlantic |
| 7 | Jetstar Airways | 7 | Austrian Airlines |
| 8 | Ryanair | 8 | Aer Lingus |
| 9 | Jetstar Asia | 9 | EasyJet |
| 10 | Flynas | 10 | Ryanair |
The Best Airlines in Northern Europe 2021 |
The Best Airlines in Eastern Europe 2021 |
||
| 1 | Finnair | 1 | Aeroflot Russian Airlines |
| 2 | SAS Scandinavian | 2 | LOT Polish |
| 3 | Norwegian | 3 | S7 Airlines |
| 4 | airBaltic | 4 | Wizz Air |
| 5 | Icelandair | 5 | Air Serbia |
| 6 | Fly Play | 6 | Pobeda |
| 7 | BRA | 7 | NordStar |
| 8 | Atlantic Airways | 8 | Rossiya Airlines |
| 9 | Air Greenland | 9 | CSA Czech Airlines |
| 10 | Widerøe | 10 | Croatia Airlines |
The World’s Most Improved Airlines 2021 |
The Best Airlines in Southern Europe 2021 |
||
| 1 | Saudi Arabian Airlines | 1 | Turkish Airlines |
| 2 | RwandAir | 2 | Iberia |
| 3 | JetSmart | 3 | Aegean Airlines |
| 4 | Vistara | 4 | Vueling Airlines |
| 5 | Vueling Airlines | 5 | Air Malta |
| 6 | Scoot | 6 | LEVEL |
| 7 | Xiamen Airlines | 7 | Alitalia |
| 8 | Flynas | 8 | Air Dolomiti |
| 9 | Air France | 9 | Air Nostrum |
| 10 | Turkish Airlines | 10 | Lauda Europe |
The Best Airline Inflight Entertainment 2021 |
The World’s Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airlines 2021 |
||
| 1 | Emirates | 1 | Scoot |
| 2 | Singapore Airlines | 2 | Jetstar Airways |
| 3 | Qatar Airways | 3 | Air Canada rouge |
| 4 | Delta Air Lines | 4 | LEVEL |
| 5 | Virgin Atlantic | 5 | French Bee |
| 6 | Qantas Airways | ||
| 7 | Turkish Airlines | ||
| 8 | United Airlines | ||
| 9 | Etihad Airways | ||
| 10 | Air France | ||
| Call ✆ Reservations Team:(877) 681-0056 | |||
The Best Airlines in Africa 2021 |
The Best Airlines in Asia 2021 |
||
| 1 | Ethiopian Airlines | 1 | Singapore Airlines |
| 2 | South African Airways | 2 | ANA All Nippon Airways |
| 3 | Kenya Airways | 3 | Japan Airlines |
| 4 | Royal Air Maroc | 4 | Cathay Pacific Airways |
| 5 | Air Mauritius | 5 | EVA Air |
| 6 | Air Seychelles | 6 | Hainan Airlines |
| 7 | RwandAir | 7 | China Southern Airlines |
| 8 | FlySafair | 8 | Garuda Indonesia |
| 9 | Egyptair | 9 | Bangkok Airways |
| 10 | Fastjet | 10 | Korean Air |
The Best Airlines in Australia/Pacific 2021 |
The Best Airlines in China 2021 |
||
| 1 | Qantas Airways | 1 | Hainan Airlines |
| 2 | Air New Zealand | 2 | China Southern Airlines |
| 3 | Virgin Australia | 3 | Juneyao Airlines |
| 4 | Fiji Airways | 4 | China Eastern Airlines |
| 5 | Jetstar Airways | 5 | Xiamen Airlines |
| 6 | Air Tahiti Nui | 6 | Spring Airlines |
| 7 | AirCalin | 7 | Air China |
| 8 | Rex Airlines | 8 | West Air |
| 9 | Air Niugini | 9 | Tianjin Airlines |
| 10 | Air Vanuatu | 10 | Shenzhen Airlines |
The Best Airlines in Europe 2021 |
The Best Airlines in the Middle East 2021 |
||
| 1 | Air France | 1 | Qatar Airways |
| 2 | British Airways | 2 | Emirates |
| 3 | Lufthansa | 3 | Etihad Airways |
| 4 | Aeroflot Russian Airlines | 4 | Saudi Arabian Airlines |
| 5 | KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | 5 | Oman Air |
| 6 | Turkish Airlines | 6 | Gulf Air |
| 7 | Swiss International Air Lines | 7 | Flynas |
| 8 | Virgin Atlantic | 8 | Air Arabia |
| 9 | Austrian Airlines | 9 | Royal Jordanian Airlines |
| 10 | Finnair | 10 | flyDubai |
| Call ✆ Reservations Team:(877) 681-0056 | |||
The Best Airlines in Central Asia |
The Best Airlines in India / Southern Asia |
||
| 1 | Air Astana | 1 | Vistara |
| 2 | Azerbaijan Airlines | 2 | IndiGo |
| 3 | Uzbekistan Airways | 3 | SpiceJet |
| 4 | Buta Airways | 4 | SriLankan Airlines |
| 5 | FlyArystan | 5 | Air India |
| 6 | Qazaq Air | 6 | Go First |
| 7 | SCAT Airlines | 7 | Pakistan Int’l Airlines |
| 8 | Turkmenistan Airlines | 8 | airblue |
| 9 | Air Kyrgyzstan | 9 | Maldivian |
| 10 | Kam Air | 10 | Air India Express |
