Holiday travel is the most expensive it's been in a decade. 3 ways to save

Responds Holiday travel is the most expensive it's been in a decade. 3 ways to save From cheaper days to fly to AI price-tracking tools, simple strategies could help you cut the cost of your holiday getaway. By Leigh Lesniak and PJ Randhawa • Published 1 hour ago • Updated 1 hour ago Buckle up! Experts say this holiday travel season will be the most expensive in a decade. And it comes as Americans are already feeling strapped. Stream NBC 5 for free, 24/7, wherever you are. WATCH HERE More than 75 percent of people who took NBC 5 Responds' unscientific affordability survey said they’re cutting expenses like dining out. And 66 percent of respondents said they're also delaying travel this holiday season. “It’s the most expensive holiday period that I can remember,” said Clint Henderson, managing editor at The Points Guy. Henderson said inflation has hit the travel industry hard this year, and airlines are passing the cost onto travelers. “We’re seeing airfare up anywhere from 20% to 30%. And that’s been true all year because of higher jet fuel prices. But we’ve seen bag fees go up,” Henderson said. But if you’re determined to get away this season, there are three things you can do to get the best price. NBC 5 Responds NBC 5 Responds Nov 12 What Is ‘surveillance pricing?' How retailers, loyalty programs collect and use your data NBC 5 Responds Nov 11 Cost of baby formula at all-time high amid US trade war with Canada 1. First, consider when to fly. “It’s gonna be cheaper for you to travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. And why is that? It’s because that’s when most business travelers are not flying, traveling, and so prices tend to be a little bit lower. If you can take the first flight of the day, sometimes that will be cheaper, or the last flight of day,” Henderson said. 2. Next, consider an airline credit card. Henderson says if you travel enough, it could be worth the annual fee. “In general, you can save a lot of money by just getting an airline credit card. So that’s one way to escape your bag fees. Sometimes you get extra perks,” Henderson said. 3. And when you’re ready to book, don’t stop there. Monitor price changes to your flight after booking with AI. “There’s all these new AI tools. They’ll watch your flights for you. And if the price drops, they’ll actually get you a trip credit for the price difference,” Henderson said. Henderson said he’s saved about a thousand dollars this year by using AI tool like Autopilot and Jenova. He said most of these types of apps have a fee, which adds up to about 20% of the savings. And if you’re bypassing the airport altogether for the open road, Henderson said there are ways to save on gas too. “So gasoline is very expensive right now, but there’s all kinds of opportunities to stack. So I say join the fuel rewards program of the gas station that you’re going to. Some of the big, like Costco, Walmart, some of their big stores, they have discounts on gas. So you can get 10 cents off a gallon of gas, in many cases up to $20 worth,” Henderson said. And if you are thinking about a road trip, Triple-A has a gas calculator tool that can tell you exactly how much you will have to pay for a trip based on your starting and ending location, and the make and model of your car. This article tagged under: Responds