5 Tips for Booking Your Last-Minute Holiday Trips

4. Price out flights at smaller airports
Check out prices to fly into and out of several airports in and around your home and your destination. Not only can you save money on flights when using a smaller airport, but parking at them tends to be cheaper. In addition, crowds are often thinner, which means less time waiting at security or the baggage carousel and, possibly, fewer delays. That said, smaller airports tend to be farther afield, so there might be more ground-transit time and higher cab or public transportation costs. Be sure to take that into account.

5. Fly routes with layovers
Flights that are nonstop or direct (that is, flights that might have stops but whose stops don't usually involve a change of planes) are the most expensive. If your schedule allows for extra travel time and you don't mind a layover, you can save a bundle of money. Taking flights that no one else wants — nighttime red-eye flights or those really early in the morning — can also help your budget.

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