The smartest ways to save on holiday flights this year

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Like many Americans, I spend the holidays visiting family. If you’ve ever booked flights during peak travel periods, you know that domestic fares can be shockingly high, sometimes rivaling the cost of an international ticket.

If you haven’t started mapping out your holiday travel, here are three practical strategies to help you save money.

If you hold a travel rewards card from a major bank, chances are you can take advantage of that issuer’s ​transfer partners​ to unlock cheaper flight redemptions. In many cases, booking through a partner program requires significantly fewer points than redeeming directly with the airline.

Here’s a cheatsheet of airline alliances and important partnerships to book domestic flights:

• Book United flights with Star Alliance partners Air Canada Aeroplan and Avianca LifeMiles.
• Book Delta flights with SkyTeam partners Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
• Book American Airlines flights with oneworld partners Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, The British Airways Club, Finnair Avios, and Qantas Frequent Flyer.
• Book JetBlue flights with non-alliance partner Etihad Guest.

These redemption rates can often beat what the airlines themselves charge in their own loyalty programs, sometimes by a wide margin. To put this into perspective, you can book:

• United flights on Aeroplan from 6,000 points
• Delta flights through Virgin Atlantic from 7,500 points
• American Airlines flights via Atmos Rewards from 4,500 points
• JetBlue flights starting at 6,000 points from Etihad Guest

Budget airlines such as Frontier and Spirit have significantly improved in recent years, with redesigned seats, flexible fare bundles that include bags, and other upgrades in response to shifting consumer demands.

If their flight schedules work with your plans, the ultra-low fares alone make them worth a look. In fact, even upgrading to the priciest fare class with perks like a carry-on and checked bag, extra legroom, and priority seating can often rival the experience of a legacy airline while still costing less.

On the other hand, newer low-cost carriers like Breeze Airways are carving out their own niche by linking smaller regional airports with major destinations. Especially around the holidays, the convenience of a nonstop flight — avoiding layovers and possible winter disruptions — can be invaluable.

Most airlines issue travel credits if you cancel a flight, with the general exception of basic economy fares. However, with carriers like Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, and United, those credits typically expire one year from the original ticketing date.

It’s worth doing a quick inventory of any unused credits you may have tucked away. If one is set to expire before your holiday travel plans, there’s a smart workaround to extend its life.

All you have to do is book any flight scheduled after the dates you actually plan to travel. Once 24 hours have passed, cancel the flight to be reissued a new travel credit, this time with a fresh expiration date, usually another full year out. That extra window gives you more flexibility to use it.