Cheap flights for the holidays: How to save money on Thanksgiving and Christmas travel

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The holidays are right around the corner and if you haven't booked your flights yet, the I-Team has valuable tips to save you money.

It's not too late to book your travel for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays but the prices are starting to rise quickly.

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Experts say there are creative ways to save and still see your loved ones.

"If you haven't booked for the holidays yet. Book. Now it is getting to that point where fares are starting to rise. Certainly, by the mid- to end of October," said Julian Kheel of Points Path. "We're going to see much higher airfares, both in cash and in frequent flyer Miles. The great news is that if you do book a ticket. Now you can generally still change it if you find a better deal, so go ahead, lock down those holiday flights, and then keep looking."

So, pick your day now and exchange it for the cost difference of the flight, if needed.

Experts say a big tip to save is, if you can, fly on the actual holiday.

"The best days to fly during the holidays are the ones that everyone else is not flying. So that means on the holiday itself. Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, even the Friday after Thanksgiving, when everyone's sitting at home still digesting their turkey," Kheel said. "Those are days where you're going to find the best deals in either cash or frequent flyer miles."

And this may be the best time to cash in your miles. Airlines may offer you more value for your miles or points during the holidays.

"If you're going to redeem points or miles, you should actually take a look at those business and first class seats while you will pay more miles for them," said Kheel. "You can often get more value for your miles by booking in a premium cabin, so could be a great time to treat yourself to a little luxury."

More tips to save: Book late night flights or early morning flights, which may not be as high in demand. Look for alternative airports in the same region which may be less expensive. Also consider a getaway after the holiday that first full week of January you can find some really great deals.