Buy Christmas, New Year's Airline Tickets This Week or Spend Big Bucks Later

HANOVER, MD — Anyone making plans to fly out of Maryland for the Christmas or New Year's holidays should grab plane tickets now, if you haven't already, to capture the biggest savings, say travel experts.

And it’s a good time to review what you pack to smooth your way through security screening with a minimum amount of hassle.

According to the travel website Skyscanner , the cheapest time to book a Christmas flight is generally the week of Nov. 21, the website says, for an average savings of 6.41 percent. But there are still bargains to be found if you check multiple travel sites — think Priceline, Kayak, Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz and CheapAir — and airline sites for your destination.

Good news: the best time to score cheap tickets for a New Year's flight is the week of Dec. 5 for an average savings of 10.57 percent, says Skyscanner.

Travel experts say airfare shoppers are nearly out of time in what is called the prime booking window. This is the zone for bargain hunters and rans from 21 to about 112 days before a trip, a period when fares fluctuate drastically, sometimes day to day. Travelers are urged to check for cheap airline tickets frequently during this period and to buy when a bargain pops up, says CheapAir.

Travel site Orbitz says you’re out of luck for bargain seats for Christmas. It says Oct. 9 was the best date to snag your Christmas tickets.

Travel blogger Peter Greenberg says his rule of thumb is to pick midweek flights in the middle of the day about 45 days ahead of time.

Prices fluctuate through the week, and even throughout a single day, says Greenberg, but airline tickets generally cost less early in the week. So if the price drops below what you have budgeted to spend, snap up the ticket. Here are a couple of helpful tools recommended by Greenberg:

• AirfareWatchdog emails airfare alerts based on a preferred route.
• Bing Travel’s Price Predictor suggests whether to buy now or wait based on historical data.

It’s time to end your procrastination and buy a ticket, says FareCompare blogger Rick Seaney. To save money, he says:

• Buy now. As of November 2016, domestic airfare prices climb $4 or $5 daily on average.
• Search multiple airline sites. Check ticket prices on several airline sites and use a fare comparison site like Priceline or Kayak for prices.
• Be as flexible as possible, such as flying on unpopular days like Christmas, or fly in and out of hub airports and then drive the rest of the way if it’s feasible.
• Fly with a stop or two between your departure and destination cities instead of only booking a non-stop flight.
• Only travel with a carry-on bag, which is typically free and unlikely to get lost since it stays with you, unlike checked luggage.

If you can avoid traveling through the nation's hub airports, which are the busiest and often most likely to cancel flights, you may have a smoother travel experience. Orbitz ranks the top 10 busiest airports for Christmas 2016:

1. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International
2. Chicago O’Hare International
3. Los Angeles International
4. Charlotte-Douglas International
5. Dallas-Fort Worth International
6. Denver International
7. John F. Kennedy International in New York
8. Seattle-Tacoma International
9. Phoenix Sky Harbor International
10. Orlando International

The Transportation Security Administration has some advice for you before you catch a flight during the busy winter holiday season at Baltimore/Washington International Airport, and that means it's best to come prepared to avoid delays in boarding your flight.

TSA officials suggest you arrive at the airport at least two hours in advance of a domestic flight and three hours in advance of an international fight to ensure that you have ample time to park your car or return a rental car, check your bags with your airline and get your boarding pass before heading to the security checkpoint.

Travelers are encouraged to follow these tips:

• Arrive early. Up to two hours before a domestic flight and three hours in advance of an international flight.
• Prepare for security when packing. Put large liquids, gels, creams and aerosols into checked bags — think shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream and anti-perspirant. If you’ve only got a carry-on bag, make sure all of your liquids follow the 3-1- 1 rule.
• Follow 3-1- 1 liquids rule for your carry-on bag. Liquids, gels, aerosols, creams and pastes must be 3.4 ounces or less and all bottles must fit in a single quart-size plastic bag and placed in a bin for screening. Let the TSA officer know right away if you’re traveling with larger quantities of medically necessary liquid medications or breast milk or formula for an infant.
• Documents ready: When you enter the checkpoint line have an acceptable ID and boarding pass out of your wallet and ready to hand to the TSA officer. Once you get to the screening tables, remove large electronics including laptops and the 3-1- 1 liquids bag, from carry-on baggage.
• Less accessories: Consider minimizing items that you wear to the airport such as bulky jewelry, scarves, hair accessories, large belts and other bulky items that are likely to require additional screening. Remove all items from your pockets and put them into one of your carry-on bags so you won’t lose them.
• @AskTSA: If you have questions on what is allowed through the security checkpoint, contact a TSA employee for live assistance 365 days a year via Twitter. Tweet your questions and comments to @AskTSA from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekends/holidays. Call the TSA Cares helpline toll free at 1-855- 787-2227 with any questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint 72 hours prior to traveling.

»Patch file photo of BWI Airport