If you haven’t already booked your flights for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, you may want to do it soon. There are fewer flights offered this year, so holiday ticket prices are going up fast. Just within the last week Thanksgiving airfares have increased by 10%.

For those of you who still need tickets, here are some tips for getting the best Thanksgiving fares.

Via: NYTimes

I’ve mentioned the benefits of packing as little as possible in past posts – you save time otherwise spent waiting in baggage claim and avoid the risk of lost luggage. A year ago the airlines added a $25 fee for a second checked-bag. Now the airlines are charging $15 for your first checked bag as well, so packing light is even more important.

Here’s a summary of the new airline baggage fees announced on May 5 (from Expedia.com):  Baggage Fee chart.

We flew to Amelia Island, Florida for a wedding on May 7 — just after the new fees went into effect — and extra baggage fees for two of us added another $110 to our trip cost. Ouch!

Curb-side Check-in
In addition to the new first-checked-bag fee, airlines including United, Delta, Northwest and Alaska Airlines charge $2-3/bag + tip for curb-side check-in fees.

So if you’re like me and want to avoid paying for baggage fees in the future, check out these tips for packing light for carry-on:

• Rolling Luggage
• Flying with a Carry-on? Here’s what Not to Bring
• Keeping it Light: Packing Tips

Southwest Airlines, of course, continues to be the shining exception and charges no additional fees for checked bags. That and their flexible travel date policy makes them a favorite with me.

When booking a trip I often end up with various confirmation emails from the airline, the hotel and the car rental company.  Just before leaving I’m usually searching my Inbox for the right mail to print to take with me.  TripIt makes it easy to organize all your trip information into one simple itinerary. 

How does it work?  Just sign up for this free web service and then forward your trip confirmation emails to TripIt.  Within a couple of minutes a nice, concise personal itinerary of the trip is created for you which can be added to at anytime. 

I’m using TripIt for my upcoming trips to San Francisco and Atlanta.  I forwarded my airline and hotel confirmation emails to TripIt and it worked perfectly.  Showing the predicted weather for each day is a nice touch and definitely a good reminder for me when packing (I tend to pack like every destination will be sunny and 80 degrees).  It’s also easy to add directions, notes and maps to your itinerary.

If you’re traveling with girlfriends, you can also share itineraries within your group, so everyone knows which restaurant to meet at, and when and where to meet for the spa, shopping, etc.  A great tool for organizing a trip -  try TripIt for your next girlfriend getaway.

Via: PC Magazines 2008 Best Travel sites