Canceled flights, rising costs, and other top concerns among holiday travelers this season

Nearly half of U.S. consumers are planning to brave the busiest travel period of the year by taking trips during the holidays. According to PwC, men are more likely to be out and about as well, with more than half planning to travel versus just 2 in 5 women. They plan to do it even as concerns for common travel mishaps remain. Among the biggest worries? Rising travel costs and travel delays.

Some incidents—from weather-delayed flights or global IT outages like the one that affected close to 12,000 flights last summer—are out of everyone's control. Still, travelers can take steps to avoid the worst pitfalls and mitigate even the most nightmarish travel mishaps.

Outwander analyzed PwC's 2024 Holiday Outlook survey to identify major concerns among this year's holiday travelers. Next, we offer top travel trips to get through the busy travel holiday season as unscathed as possible.

Prices are top-of-mind for holiday travelers

Outwander

No one likes paying more than they have to for travel expenses, and with tightening budgets for everything from groceries to holiday gifts, many U.S. travelers are feeling the squeeze. There's good reason to fret about higher travel expenses; holiday travel tends to be one of the most expensive times of year to travel. According to PwC, 56% of travelers are saving money this holiday season by skipping lodging expenses and staying with friends and family. Travelers who use reward programs are also cutting costs by redeeming points and miles.

For consumers who don't have these options, it's generally best to book flights and lodging early, since prices tend to rise as travel dates get closer. Use apps and websites that allow travelers to comparison shop. Apps such as Hopper and websites like Google Flights give consumers predictions about the best time to book before prices will likely increase.

Travelers may save some money by booking flights away from the year's busiest travel days. The Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving are expected to be the busiest travel days, which means they'll likely be the most expensive.

These busy days are also more likely to be mired by delays, so avoid travel on those days to help keep travel plans intact. If you can, book direct flights to lessen the chance of flight delays causing you to miss a connection. And if you have the time to spare, consider building in a travel buffer day. Give yourself extra time to travel to and from your destination, so your vacation plans aren't ruined by delays or cancellations. Don't forget to arrive early at the airport to give yourself plenty of time to make it through extended TSA lines.

Many other travelers will take to the roads instead of the skies. AAA anticipates close to 80 million people will travel at least 50 miles away from home for Thanksgiving. Gas prices have been trending down; We're close to record lows that we haven't seen since May 2021, but a new hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico could shoot gas prices back up before the holidays. Before heading out on a road trip, ensure your tires are properly inflated. AAA says it'll help you conserve gas. If you're headed out of state, plan to refill your tank in states with lower gas prices. And when you need to fill up, try to time it when prices are at their lowest. Mondays tend to be a less expensive day of the week to fill up, according to AAA.