Now is the time to book holiday air travel

With summer vacations in the rearview mirror, AAA is encouraging anyone planning to fly over Thanksgiving or the year-end holidays to look ahead – and book ahead – to save money and mini-mize the risk of flight delays and holiday disruption.

“Flyers are experiencing three pain points: increased expense, reduced inventory and the possibility of delayed or cancelled flights,” said AAA South Dakota spokesman Shawn Steward. “Booking holiday travel now should help to address all of these issues.” 

Staffing and other pandemic-related issues have dramatically disrupted the airline industry, forcing several major airlines to reduce the number of routes they are servicing, and fewer routes mean fewer seats. Airfares, which have increased 20 percent in the past year, will likely continue to rise in the coming months. 

“By booking air travel now, flyers afford themselves greater choice and greater flexibility, increasing the opportunity for a positive, stress-free travel experience,” Steward added.