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Window on holiday deals closing

By John Helton
CNN

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(CNN) -- If you've got your heart set on a holiday trip, time is running out.

There are still bargains out there, travel experts say, but the key is being flexible on what days you can travel or settling for somewhere near what you had your heart set on.

Most online travel sites have services that alert subscribers when deals emerge and some are smart enough to tie the traveler to their desired destinations or dates.

Hotwire's Travel Ticker alerts you to the best deals of the day. Travelocity's Fare Watcher alerts you when deals emerge on the destinations you selected.

"It works if you can be flexible on the dates or destinations you want," said Travelocity's Jen Catto. "You might not get exactly what you want but you can get close."

Another option is to try some destinations you might not have thought of -- Hotwire's Barbara Messing said you can still find deals on big-city hotels because business travelers stay home over the holidays.

"I love this ambience of the holiday season in the big cities -- the decorations, the special activities like the holiday musicals like we have here in San Francisco," she said. "It's a really nice time to experience the city and save some money."

Both Hotwire's and Travelocity's top destinations over the holidays are either somewhere warm or somewhere you can ski.

Florida, California and Arizona are among top domestic destinations and Denver, Colorado, ranked in both sites' Top 10.

Thanksgiving travel bodes well for Christmas, New Year's

If the Thanksgiving weekend could be used as a projection of how well travel will flow through the rest of the holidays, expect smooth sailing.

Of course, the one thing that can't be controlled -- the weather -- could throw all that out the window.

Fears of long wait times in security lines weren't realized as the Transportation Security Administration mounted a campaign in the days before the holiday to educate passengers on restrictions on liquids in carry-on baggage.

"The TSA got ahead of the curve on that one," said Dean Headley, a Wichita State University marketing professor who studies airline performance. "They were more proactive than most government agencies have been."

The TSA banned liquids from carry-on baggage in August after an alleged terror plot using liquid explosives was exposed. The TSA adjusted restrictions in September, allowing passengers to bring three-ounce containers of liquids or gels into the cabin as long as they were checked through security in a one-quart clear plastic bag.

The TSA mounted a public service campaign called "3-1-1 for Carry-ons " leading up to Thanksgiving when many infrequent fliers make their only trip of the year.

Mishandled baggage complaints fall

The restrictions on carry-on items caused more passengers to check in more bags rather than carry restricted items on board. Airlines reported a 30 percent increase in checked baggage immediately after the restrictions were implemented in August and about 20 percent in the days before Thanksgiving.

It appears, though, that the airlines are getting a handle on the increase -- mishandled baggage complaints went from 6.5 complaints per 1,000 bags in July to 8.08 in August to 8.25 in September.

Figures for October, released earlier this week, show the industry's rate falling to 7.51 bags per 1,000.

Hawaiian Airlines had the best rate in October with 3.31 complaints per 1,000 bags. Atlantic Southeast Airlines had the worst of the 20 airlines listed with a 21.86-per-1,000 rate, but even that was down from its 24.13 September rate.

Headley said he things the reduction in that rate probably continued through the Thanksgiving travel period.

"I think August and September gave [the airlines] a chance to see if they had a weak spot and they were able to address it before Thanksgiving," he said.

Now, if the weather only cooperates.

Weather didn't have much of an impact on Thanksgiving travel this year. A storm with rain and high winds had a small impact on airports in the New York early on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving but had moved on later in the day.

And a major snowstorm was just pushing into the Pacific Northwest as the Thanksgiving weekend came to a close.

As the storm dumped heavy snow as it moved east, causing United Airlines to cancel hundreds of flights at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

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